Pakistan army chief Asim Munir likely gets Trump admin's invite to attend US Army Day celebrations
FILE: In this photo released by the Inter Services Public Relations, newly elevated Field Marshal General Asim Munir prays after laying wreath on the Martyrs monument during a special guard of honor ceremony at General Headquarters, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Munir is reportedly said to arrive in Washington DC to attend the 250th anniversary celebrations of the US Army , Pakistan's The News has reported.The invitation for this visit came from his American counterpart, and the event is scheduled for Saturday, June 14, which also coincides with US President Donald Trump's birthday.This visit comes only weeks after a conflict between India and Pakistan following New Delhi's Operation Sindoor, a retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. Munir's forthcoming visit to the US for the commemorative event has raised eyebrows following the recent tensions between the two Asian giants.Meanwhile, Trump has also claimed to have brokered peace between India and Pakistan while New Delhi has cleared it multiple times that an 'understanding' was reached by the DGMOs of the two countries.Moreover, it has been alleged that Munir had a part to play in the April 22 attack. He was also promoted to the ceremonial rank of Field Marshal, which marks only the second time in Pakistan's history that a military officer has reached this rarefied rank.The elevation is said to have came in recognition of his role in the recent military face-off with India.Earlier yesterday, a top US general said that the United States has to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India, noting that it cannot be a 'binary switch' where Washington cannot have ties with Islamabad if it has relations with New Delhi.Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), US Army General Michael Kurilla, made the comments during a testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.'We have to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India,' Kurilla said. 'We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has.'Kurilla's comments came days after an all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Shashi Tharoor visited the US to convey India's strong resolve to combat terrorism backed by Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.'ISIS Khorasan (ISIS K) is perhaps one of the most active in trying to do external plots globally to include against the homeland. The Taliban is going after ISIS K - they hate each other, and have pushed a lot of them into the tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border,' he said at the full Committee Hearing on 'US Military Posture and National Security Challenges AFRICOM + CENTCOM.''Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistan, they have gone after ISIS Khorasan, killing dozens of them. Through a relationship we have with them providing intelligence, they have captured at least five ISIS Khorasan high value individuals.'The 250th anniversary celebrations will include a large-scale parade and festival in Washington. According to reports, around 6,600 soldiers will participate in the parade, which will also showcase approximately 150 military vehicles and over 50 aircraft.The United States last hosted a military parade in 1991 to mark the end of the Gulf War. The National Victory Parade at that time featured nearly 8,000 service members, and about 2,00,000 spectators gathered to witness the event. The Washington Post reported that the parade cost USD 8 million.
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