“The fact that the Prime Minister was accompanied by his army chief is not unprecedented; this has happened in the past. What was unprecedented was Trump’s luncheon for Asim Munir one or two months ago,” Sabharwal told CNBC-TV18.
He described the meeting as part of a “new transactional relationship developing between the two countries,” which started with business interests of the Trump family in Pakistan’s crypto sector and has since extended to rare earths. Earlier this month, an American company agreed to invest $500 million in Pakistan’s mining sector.Sabharwal emphasised that the evolving relationship is largely transactional rather than strategic. “The two countries have never had strategic congruence. They entered into various transactional relationships during the Cold War and thereafter during the US war on terror. In each case, they worked together but often at cross purposes; Pakistan’s aims were different from those of the United States,” he said.
The former envoy also pointed to a security dimension in the talks, though he noted the exact nature remains unclear. “It could relate to Iran or counterterrorism in Afghanistan. The Taliban are resisting Trump’s recent attempts to take back the Bagram Air Base, and the Pakistanis are reaching a breaking point with the Taliban because they believe they are fanning terrorism within Pakistan,” Sabharwal said. He added that the US may be exploring ways to involve Pakistan in broader West Asian security arrangements, referencing the recent defence agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
While economic investments such as mining, rare earths, and potential energy exploration are important, Sabharwal said the emphasis on the meeting goes beyond purely commercial interests. “The importance being given to this relationship could not be purely because of cryptocurrency or rare earths; it may also involve a security component,” he noted.
The White House has not released detailed statements on the meeting, leaving analysts to read into the implications. Sabharwal indicated that the coming weeks and months could provide greater clarity on the nature of this evolving US-Pakistan engagement.
Watch accompanying video for entire conversation.
