The quarterback is expected to fly to Washington to meet with Trump in the coming weeks to discuss Gaza.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir presided over the 262nd Corps Commanders Conference (CCC) convened at General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. SCREEN RECORDING
ISLAMABAD:
Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir would likely be a key figure in Washington’s push for a successful launch of the Gaza stabilization force.
The field marshal is expected to fly to Washington to meet with President Donald Trump in the coming weeks for a third meeting in six months that will likely focus on the Gaza force, two sources told Reuters.
Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza calls for a force of Muslim nations to oversee a transitional period for reconstruction and economic recovery in the war-torn Palestinian territory, decimated by more than two years of Israeli military bombing.
Many countries are wary of the mission to demilitarize Hamas, which could drag them into the conflict and anger their pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel populations.
But the quarterback has built a close relationship with the mercurial Trump to repair years of mistrust between Washington and Islamabad. In June, he was invited to a luncheon at the White House — the first time an American president hosted only the head of Pakistan’s military, without civilian officials.
Pakistan has a battle-hardened military and has gone to war three times with archrival India and a brief conflict this summer. It has also successfully tackled terrorism in the country.
The military, the Foreign Ministry and the Information Ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters. The White House also did not respond to a request for comment.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said last month that Islamabad could consider contributing troops for peacekeeping, but that disarming Hamas “is not our job.”
In recent weeks, the field marshal has met with military and civilian leaders from countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and Qatar, according to statements by the military, which analysts said appeared to be consultations on Gaza strength.
Abdul Basit, a senior associate fellow at Singapore’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said if things escalated once Gaza forces were on the ground, they would quickly cause problems.
