Pakistan PM Sharif and Trump hold first White House talks since 2019

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday in a closed-door Oval Office session, the leaders’ first formal bilateral meeting since 2019 and a high-profile stop during Sharif’s trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. The Pakistani delegation, which included Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, flew from New York for the visit and returned the same day, officials said.

Sharif arrived at Andrews Air Force Base earlier in the day and was received with a ceremonial welcome, state broadcaster PTV reported. The meeting, originally scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Washington time, was delayed as President Trump spoke with reporters while signing executive orders, and began about half an hour later, White House pool reports said. Officials said it lasted about one hour and 20 minutes and was closed to the press; photos released afterward showed Sharif, Munir and Trump together in the Oval Office and the president offering a thumbs up.

According to Pakistani and US accounts, topics on the agenda included bilateral ties, regional security and counterterrorism cooperation, as well as trade and economic matters. Sources...