Handout photograph released by Pakistan’s PMO on September 26, 2025, shows Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (L), Army Chief and Field Marshal Asim Munir (R) posing with U.S. President Donald Trump (C) at the White House in Washington, DC.
| Photo Credit: AFP
U.S. President Donald Trump’s continued overtures to Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is a reason for concern, the Congress said on Wednesday (December 24, 2025).
Mr. Munir’s controversial remarks and Pakistan’s alleged role in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack have not deterred Mr. Trump from showering praise on him, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday (December 240.
The U.S. President had first hosted an unprecedented lunch for Mr. Munir at the White House on June 18, followed by a second meeting on October 1, when Mr. Munir gifted Mr. Trump a box of rare earths, Mr. Ramesh said. Days later, during a visit to Egypt on October 13, Mr. Trump publicly called Mr. Munir as “my favourite Field Marshal”. On October 29, the American President praised to Mr. Munir as a “great fighter”, and most recently, on December 22, described him as a “highly respected General”.
“This bonhomie between the USA and Pakistan is deeply concerning for India,” Mr. Ramesh said in a post on social media platform X, adding that it effectively gave Pakistan and Mr. Munir a “clean chit” despite evidence of their involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack in April.
Mr. Ramesh criticised the Modi government’s silence, contrasting it with the global isolation Pakistan faced after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. “This is a matter of national concern, and the Modi government’s silence on it is disconcerting. Remember that in the aftermath of 26/11, Pakistan was thoroughly exposed and discredited on the international stage — not celebrated and lionised as it is now,” the Congress leader said.
Published – December 24, 2025 08:37 pm IST
