US lawmakers meet Asim Munir as Pakistan pushes stronger ties with Washington

Islamabad,UPDATED: Jul 28, 2026 14:58 IST

Two US lawmakers met Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday as Islamabad and Washington continued efforts to strengthen bilateral ties. The meeting came amid renewed momentum in engagement between the two countries, with both sides increasing high-level political, defence and economic contacts after President Donald Trump's return to office last year.

Pakistan's military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said the meeting was held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. It said the talks covered matters of mutual interest, regional security, bilateral defence cooperation and ways to expand economic collaboration.

The ISPR said Congressmen Ryan Zinke of Montana and Michael Baumgartner of Washington, both members of the US House of Representatives, attended the meeting with Munir. During the talks, Munir highlighted Pakistan's economic potential and said sustainable regional stability was closely linked to economic growth, trade expansion and regional connectivity.

He also pointed to Pakistan's ongoing structural reforms aimed at creating a business-friendly environment and attracting foreign investment, the statement said. The ISPR added, "Recognising the professional backgrounds and insights of the delegation, both sides discussed potential opportunities for bilateral economic engagement, private sector partnerships and enhancing bilateral trade ties." It said the US lawmakers expressed their commitment to promoting deeper economic, commercial and institutional linkages between the two countries.

The visit comes at a time when Pakistan has been mediating between the US and Iran after hostilities broke out between the two countries earlier this year. Islamabad has continued to engage both Washington and Tehran amid efforts to revive a ceasefire that collapsed after renewed strikes this month.

The two congressmen arrived in Pakistan last week and also visited Lahore, where they met Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan. Speaking to state-run Pakistan Television, Baumgartner said bilateral ties were "going to be stronger", while Zinke said, "the relationship has never been better".

Munir has developed close ties with the Trump administration in recent years. Trump has publicly referred to Munir as his "favourite field marshal", while Pakistan nominated the US President for the Nobel Peace Prize. During Munir's visit to the US last year, he held a closed-door luncheon with Trump at the White House, the first known private meeting between a US President and a serving Pakistani army chief.

The meeting in Rawalpindi underlined the current push by Pakistan and the US to deepen defence, economic and institutional ties, while broader regional issues, including the US-Iran situation, continued to shape the backdrop to the engagement.

With PTI Inputs

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