Islamabad:
Many world leaders who have visited the White House since the president of the United States, Donald Trump, began his second term in January have not been warmly received. The tense show of Trump’s exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remained fresh in public memory.
In this context, there was a great curiosity about what Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Marshal of Campo expected during his September 25 visit to the White House. Speculated observers on the reception that would receive the civil and military leadership of Pakistan.
Trump, known for converting each meeting into a public action, surprised many by maintaining strictly behind closed doors. The usual appearance of the Oval office press before formal conversations was remarkably absent. Instead, the White House released only a brief video clip and some fixed images, limited but check what happened.
Judging by images and official reading, the meeting seemed cordial and constructive, a surprising deviation of Trump’s combative style.
The meeting also marked a significant change in relations between the United States and Pakistan. Before Trump’s return to charge, most experts had predicted bleak perspectives of bilateral ties under Trump 2.0. However, those assumptions have turned. When Prime Minister Shehbaz, accompanied by Campo Marshal, met Trump in Washington, said an important step towards the restart of tense ties.
According to the sources, Pakistan has managed to forge the political space to himself and convince the Trump administration of its continuous relevance in regional affairs. Unlike the past, Islamabad does not request security assistance or financial aid. On the other hand, the emphasis is to take advantage of its relationship with Washington over the political advantage at a time of changing global alignments.
Officials familiar with the commitment explained that critics can judge the result of the reset in purely material terms, such as help packages, commercial concessions or military hardware. However, the real objective, they emphasize, is political. “If Pakistan was not on Trump’s right side, he could have proven to be a great disadvantage,” said a source.
The meeting took place in the context of changing dynamics in southern Asia. New Delhi’s hug from Washington in New Delhi has cooled in recent months, particularly due to commercial disputes and divergent strategic priorities.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to press a hard line on immigration and foreign policy, which makes it essential for countries such as Pakistan to ensure direct communication channels at the highest level.
Analysts believe that Pakistan’s leadership is trying to position themselves as a relevant player in Washington’s evolutionary calculation about Afghanistan, contractorism and regional stability. The presence of the field marshal in the conversations was seen as a clear sign that Pakistan’s civil and military leadership is aligned in this approach.
While it remains to be seen how this political restart will translate into concrete results, officials insist that the commitment has already helped Pakistan avoid strategic isolation. “Dividends may not be immediate,” said a source, “but keeping the United States committed is, in itself, a great victory.”
Another source added that Pakistan has so far managed to position himself successfully as a relevant player in global politics. The Saudi Defense Agreement in Pakistan and the presence of Pakistan at the Arab-Islamic Summit organized by Trump in New York underlined the elevator elevator geostrategic profile of Islamabad.
