Amidst criticism and mounting controversy over US President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, Indian Congress MP Shashi Tharoor issued a sharp response to media queries, expressing serious concerns over Pakistan’s historical ties to terrorism. Tharoor pointed out that Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives, had been found hiding in close proximity to a Pakistani army camp.
According to Tharoor, the American public would not easily forget bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan, nor forgive the country’s complicity in harboring the al-Qaeda chief. He asserted that the Pakistani government, which has not only sheltered individuals responsible for major global terror attacks but has also supported terrorist activities in India, is fundamentally untrustworthy.
#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | On US President Donald Trump's lunch meeting with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "I hope the food was good and he gets some food for thought in the process. I hope that in these interactions, the Americans… pic.twitter.com/QJn6BHEjoY
— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2025
Tharoor further stated that he hoped President Trump would use the opportunity of his engagement with General Munir to deliver a stern message, discouraging Pakistan from continuing its policy of funding, arming, training, and dispatching terrorists across the border into India.
World has viewed the U.S. invitation to Munir for a banquet at the White House with considerable concern. The optics of the meeting, coupled with Trump’s warm words for the Pakistani military chief, have raised eyebrows.
Following the meeting, President Trump publicly praised General Munir, calling the interaction an “honor.” He also reaffirmed his friendly stance towards both countries, saying he “loved Pakistan” while simultaneously describing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great man.” Trump added that he had spoken to Modi the previous night and hinted at an impending trade deal with India.
EP-108| “Trump Dines with the Architect of Terror” | Quick Take with Smita Prakash#QuickTake #SmitaPrakash #Trump #AsimMunir #USA #Pakistan #Iran #Israel #India #Modi pic.twitter.com/aAhHy4F6ji
— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2025
The president, without shame or evidence, claimed credit for defusing tensions between the two South Asian nuclear powers. He also acknowledged General Munir’s role in facilitating peace from the Pakistani side. However, the Trump-Munir meeting signals Pakistan’s emerging role as a strategic espionage asset for the United States, particularly amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict and growing Chinese and Russian influence in the region. Dependent on American aid to stabilise its fragmented economy, Pakistan is compelled to align with Washington’s geopolitical interests. However, the optics of General Asim Munir meeting the U.S. President, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif remains in office, raises critical questions about who truly wields power in Pakistan, its elected civilian leadership or the ever-dominant military establishment.
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