In rare move, Trump hosts Pakistan Army chief Munir at White House after India-Pak clashes

WASHINGTON: In a rare gesture, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hosted Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir at the White house, weeks after India and Pakistan were locked in a four-day military conflict.
The closed door luncheon meeting came amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran with Trump exploring Washington's possible involvement.
Islamabad is known for is close ties with Tehran.
Munir met President Trump over lunch at the White House, the Geo News reported.
It was immediately not known what transpired in the meeting between Trump and "Field Marshal" Munir.
It is rare for the US president to host a lunch for a army chief of a foreign country. There have been precedents of Pakistan army chiefs, including Ayub Khan, Zia ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf, receiving such invites.
But they were holding the post of president as well.
The US president had cut short his trip to Canada's Kananaskis for the G7 Leaders' Summit and returned to Washington Tuesday morning amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Earlier, an official advisory said Trump would be hosting the Pakistan Army Chief for lunch in the Cabinet Room of the White House at 1 pm.
Interestingly, Trump, during a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asked him if he could stop in the US on his way back from Canada.
But, the prime minister expressed his inability to do so "due to pre-scheduled engagements," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.
In the phone talks, Modi told Trump that India and Pakistan halted their military actions last month following direct talks between the two militaries without any mediation by the US.

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