US President Donald Trump met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Oval Office on Thursday, accompanied by Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also present.

Before the meeting, Trump called the visitors “great leaders,” signaling a thaw in US-Pakistan relations. “We have a great leader coming, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and the Field Marshal. Both are very great people,” he told reporters.

The meeting followed a recent trade deal between the two countries and came shortly after a brief encounter between Trump and Sharif at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, where Trump met leaders from several countries, including Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye.

Sharif arrived at the White House around 4:52 pm and was greeted by senior administration officials. Trump was signing executive orders when the Pakistani leaders arrived. Their motorcade left around 6:18 pm. Reports say Sharif and Munir waited for about half an hour before the meeting, though this could not be independently verified.

Historically, the US viewed Pakistan as a strategic partner, first during the Soviet-Afghan war and later during the war on terror. Relations strained over time, especially after Osama bin Laden was found in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Trump had criticized Pakistan in 2018, saying the country gave the US “nothing but lies and deceit”.

Now, Pakistan is offering something new. On September 8, Islamabad signed two MoUs with US firms, including a $500 million investment in Pakistani critical minerals and rare earth elements, following Trump’s July pledge to help develop Pakistan’s massive oil reserves.

The new trade agreement includes a 19% tariff on Pakistani imports and gives Washington a role in developing Pakistan’s oil reserves. US-Pakistan trade reached $10.1 billion in 2024, up 6.3% from 2023. US exports were $2.1 billion, while imports totaled $5.1 billion, leaving a trade deficit of $3 billion.

The visit comes after Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts during its May military confrontation with India. Trump has claimed multiple times that he helped broker a ceasefire, a claim India denies. Pakistan later nominated Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing his role during the recent India-Pakistan crisis.

This meeting marks a fresh chapter in US-Pakistan ties, with trade, minerals, and oil cooperation at the center of the renewed engagement.