Pakistan Army Chief’s Visit to America, the Second in Two Months, Signals Trouble in Ties With Islamabad

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is making his second trip to America just weeks after his last visit, signaling a troubling deepening of ties between Islamabad and Washington. This visit, to attend the retirement ceremony for the outgoing commander of the United States Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, follows a high-profile lunch hosted by President Trump in June. The back-to-back visits raise concerns about America’s closeness with a military leader whose actions and ideology pose a direct threat to Western interests and regional stability.Field Marshal Munir’s leadership is steeped in a dangerous ideology that champions Pakistan’s “two-nation theory,” a doctrine that pits Muslims against Hindus and frames Pakistan as a superior Islamic state. In a speech at the First Annual Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad on April 15, Field Marshal Munir declared, “our forefathers thought that we are different from the Hindus in every possible aspect of life.” The field marshal then added that Pakistan was created by Allah, based on the foundation of the Islamic declaration of faith, Kalima. Such rhetoric not only fuels religious extremism but also underpins Pakistan’s aggressive stance on India and Kashmir, a flashpoint between India and Pakistan, which Field Marshal Munir called the country’s “jugular vein.”This ideology was starkly evident in the lead-up to the April 22, terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu, and Kashmir, where 26 Hindu men were brutally murdered by Pakistan-based jihadi groups. The attackers, linked to the Resistance Force, which serves as a proxy for the Pakistan-based Salafi-jihadi organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, singled out victims based on religion, even stripping them to confirm their identity. The Indian press reported images of Pakistani military officers attending the funerals of these terrorists, their coffins draped in Pakistan’s flag — a blatant endorsement of terrorism by the state. Terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen operate with impunity in Pakistan. The February 5 “Kashmir Solidarity and Hamas Operation ‘Al Aqsa Flood’ Conference” in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, attended by a senior Hamas leader, Khaled Qaddoumi, further exposed Pakistan’s ties to global jihadist networks. The Indian security commentator, Major Gaurav Arya, minced no words: “Asim Munir is the enemy… the enemy is the Pakistani army chief.” The field marshal’s public statements, including his assertion that “Pakistan will not leave our Kashmiri brethren in their heroic struggle against Indian occupation,” confirm his commitment to sustaining violence in the region.Mr. Trump’s decision to host Field Marshal Munir in June, followed by Pakistan’s nomination of Mr. Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for “brokering a ceasefire” during the May India-Pakistan conflict, has dangerously emboldened Islamabad. India, for its part, disputes Mr. Trump’s claim that America mediated the ceasefire. India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, told the Parliament that “no world leader asked India to stop its military operation.” Nevertheless, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan hailed the ceasefire as a “historic victory,” while Field Marshal Munir’s speeches since then have projected confidence in Pakistan’s growing influence over American foreign policy.This influence was evident in Field Marshal Munir’s speech on June 17 to the Pakistani diaspora at Washington, where he proposed a century-long economic partnership with America. Such proposals, coupled with Pakistan’s preferential tariff rates under Mr. Trump’s trade deal, suggest a misguided American pivot toward a nation that actively undermines Western security.Pakistan’s track record as an American ally is fraught with betrayal. As Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri warned, Pakistan’s military doctrine involves creating and arming extremist groups to use against the West. The handover of the ISIS member who organized the carnage on Abbey Gate in Kabul Airport, Mohammed Sharifullah, was a calculated move to keep extracting American funds. Mr. Marri’s stark warning resonates: “For every member of ISIS they ‘trade,’ Pakistan turns to ISIS and says, ‘Don’t worry, boys. We’ll milk the Americans… and you’ll get your day to bleed America.’”It’s more accurate to see Field Marshal Munir and the Pakistani military not as allies but adversaries. The field marshal’s vision of Pakistan as a superior Islamic state, his support for jihadi groups, and his aggressive posturing against India and the West demand a reevaluation of American policy.

Pakistan Army Chief’s Visit to America, the Second in Two Months, Signals Trouble in Ties With Islamabad

Pakistan Army Chief’s Visit to America, the Second in Two Months, Signals Trouble in Ties With Islamabad

More from the New York Sun

Federal Judge Hands President a Win, Rejects BBC’s Request To Depose Former White House Aide

New York Film Festival Review: ‘Fatherland’ Finds Redemption and Ruin in Post-War Germany

Picture of Persistence: André Kertész’s Long Search for Recognition

Short of Soldiers, Ukraine Is Building a ‘Robot Army’

‘A Strange Choice’: Trump Plans Red State Swing During Midterm Final Stretch

Mamdani Revives Promise To Disband NYPD Terrorism Squad in Arabic-Tinged Remarks

‘Gravity of the Charges’ Delays James Comey Arraignment Until 2027 as Judge Weighs Motions To Dismiss

Welcome to Washington: The Week That Spooked Senate Republicans

More from the New York Sun

Federal Judge Hands President a Win, Rejects BBC’s Request To Depose Former White House Aide

New York Film Festival Review: ‘Fatherland’ Finds Redemption and Ruin in Post-War Germany

Picture of Persistence: André Kertész’s Long Search for Recognition

Short of Soldiers, Ukraine Is Building a ‘Robot Army’

‘A Strange Choice’: Trump Plans Red State Swing During Midterm Final Stretch

Mamdani Revives Promise To Disband NYPD Terrorism Squad in Arabic-Tinged Remarks

‘Gravity of the Charges’ Delays James Comey Arraignment Until 2027 as Judge Weighs Motions To Dismiss

Welcome to Washington: The Week That Spooked Senate Republicans