Pak army Chief Asim Munir to visit US this month indicating stronger ties

New Delhi: Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir will visit the US this month suggesting a major development in bilateral ties between two countries, India Today reported.

In his second visit that follows his previous jaunt two month ago, Munir will attend the farewell of United States Central Command Commander (CENTCOM) General Michael Kurilla.

Kurilla, set to retire later this month, earlier termed Pakistan a ‘phenomenal partner’ in counter-terrorism.

Back then, Kurilla praised Pakistan for capturing five ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) terrorists relying on the US intelligence inputs.

At a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, Kurilla said that ‘Pakistan has been a phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world... That's why we need to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India.’

New Delhi was not taken with the official’s praise for Pakistan when India was reaching out global community to expose Pakistan’s involvement in sponsoring terrorism.

The US CENTCOM chief’s remarks pointed to the US policy of balancing its interests in the region, rather than taking on terrorism.

Pakistan responded to Kurilla’s praise by conferring on him the country’s highest of civilian awards ‘Nishan-e-Imtiaz’ when he visited Islamabad in July.

The lunch meeting that President Trump had with Munir in June clearly indicated the growing military and strategic engagement between two countries after a period of stagnancy in relations.

The meeting was noteworthy being the first in the history that a US President was hosting a Pakistani military leader without the presence of any government officials.

At the meeting Trump announced the reasons for inviting him to the US, saying ‘The reason I had him here was I wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending it’.