FO ‘contradicts’ media reports of CDF Field Marshal Munir visiting the US, says no plan finalised

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Thursday denied reports that Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir would undertake another visit to the United States. Reuters reported a day ago that Field Marshal Munir was expected to fly to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump in the coming weeks for a meeting which would likely focus on the Gaza force, according to two sources, one of whom was described as a key player in the CDF’s economic diplomacy. Andrabi’s statement came during the FO’s weekly press briefing today in response to a question, where he contradicted the Reuters report about the visit. “The Reuters story was showing as if the visit had been planned, and there was a finality about it. So, I am contradicting that and I’m contradicting the fact that a visit has been agreed or planned,” Andrabi said. “The fact is that this is information that I do not have, about the timing or any future visit that might take place. We obviously will wait for an official announcement that the Government of Pakistan makes about such a visit.” Andrabi noted that official announcements are issued ahead of official visits to foreign capitals carried out by political and military leaders and maintained that he had no information about Field Marshal Munir visiting the US. The field marshal is currently on a visit to Libya, where he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening defence ties with Tripoli, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). CDF Munir has visited the US three times over the past year. In June, Field Marshal Munir undertook a visit to the US and met with President Donald Trump over luncheon, marking the first time an American president had hosted Pakistan’s army chief at the White House unaccompanied by senior civilian officials. In August, the army chief visited the US again and termed his visit a “new dimension” in ties between Washington and Islamabad. He also engaged in high-level interactions with senior political and military leadership, as well as members of the Pakistani diaspora. Meanwhile, in September, Field Marshal Munir, accompanied by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, visited the White House and met Trump to discuss regional security and cooperation along the lines of counter-terrorism and other matters. Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Trump said that a “great leader” was coming to the White House. “We’ve got the prime minister of Pakistan coming, and the field marshal … [he’s] a great, great guy and so is the prime minister, both,” he told reporters.