Shashi Tharoor's message to US as Donald Trump hosts Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir at White House
US President Trump met Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir at the White House. Shashi Tharoor reminded the US of Pakistan's past actions regarding Osama bin Laden.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday reacted to US President Donald Trump hosting Pakistan Field Marshal and Army chief Asim Munir for lunch in the White House, saying that America could not have “forgotten the Osama episode so quickly”.
“I hope the food was good and he gets some food for thought in the process. I hope that in these interactions, the Americans reminded Pakistan of not enabling, guiding, training, arming, financing, equipping, and dispatching terrorists to our country from their soil,” Tharoor was quoted as saying by ANI.
“Some American Senators and Congressmen who met the Pakistani delegation did do this. People in the US could not have forgotten the Osama episode so quickly... Pakistan's culpability in hiding this man until he was finally found in a safe house near an Army camp can not easily be forgotten and forgiven by the Americans,” he added.
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In a rare gesture, US President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir at the White House on Wednesday. The two leaders met during a closed-door luncheon amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.
What happened in Munir-Trump meeting?
US President Donald Trump said he was “honoured” to meet Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir and thanked him for not entering the war with India, calling both nations “very smart” for avoiding conflict.
“The reason I had him here was I wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending the war. Prime Minister Modi just left a little while ago, and we are working a trade deal with India,” Trump told reporters.
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“We are working a trade deal with Pakistan…. I am so happy. Two smart people, two very smart people decided not to keep going with the war. Those are two big nuclear powers. I was honoured to meet him today,” he added.
He also confirmed that he discussed Iran with Munir during the meeting. “They (Pakistan) know Iran very well, better than most, and they’re not happy about anything,” Trump said. “They see what’s going on. And he agreed with me,” he added, without elaborating.
In a readout of the meeting, Pakistan Army said Trump has expressed "keen interest" in developing a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests, according to PTI.
