ISLAMABAD: Pakistan expressed hopes Tuesday that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s maiden trip to the White House later this month would help repair its acrimonious relationship with Washington as the US seeks its help in ending the war in Afghanistan.
Observers believe that the nearly 18-year conflict will be the major focus of talks between Khan and President Donald Trump when they meet on July 22, as Washington presses for Pakistani assistance in securing a peace deal.
“Pakistan has been facilitating the US-Taliban talks in good faith, underscoring that it remains a shared responsibility,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said during a seminar in Islamabad.
“It will, therefore, be appropriate to work for broader engagement from Afghanistan to bilateral issues, economic and trade cooperation, to peace and stability in South Asia,” he added.
Khan and Trump — both celebrities-turned-politicians whose love lives once made regular tabloid fare — have clashed in the past, with the Pakistani premier once describing a potential meeting with the US president as a “bitter pill” to swallow.
But on Tuesday, Qureshi said that Trump’s invitation to Khan reflected the “importance of the relationship for both sides.”
Relations between Pakistan and the United States have been turbulent since Trump took office in 2017, with the US leader frequently singling out Islamabad for failing to rein in extremists and being an unfaithful partner in the fight against militants.
The White House has repeatedly accused the shadowy Pakistani military establishment of helping fund and arm the Taliban, both for ideological reasons and to counter rising Indian influence in Afghanistan.
Pakistan denies the claims and says it has paid the price for its alliance with the US in the so-called “war on terror,” with thousands of its citizens killed in its long struggle with militancy.
Last year, Trump suspended $300 million in military aid to Islamabad, saying Pakistan has given Washington “nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools.”
Pakistan hopes to ‘refresh’ US ties with PM Khan’s visit
Pakistan hopes to ‘refresh’ US ties with PM Khan’s visit
- PM Khan is slated to meet Trump on July 22
- Pakistan has been facilitating the US-Taliban talks in good faith, says FM Qureshi
Islamic military coalition delegation in Pakistan to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation
- Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition is a 43-member alliance formed to consolidate Muslim countries’ efforts in countering “terrorism”
- IMCTC’s 17-member delegation will inaugurate a special training program aimed at countering “terrorism” during week-long visit, says state media
ISLAMABAD: A 17-member delegation of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) is undertaking a week-long visit to Pakistan, aimed at strengthening joint efforts and cooperation against “terrorism,” Pakistani state media reported on Monday.
The IMCTC is a 43-member military alliance that was formed on Saudi Arabia’s initiative in December 2015 to consolidate Muslim countries’ efforts in countering “terrorism.” The alliance features Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Palestine, UAE, Bangladesh and other Muslim nations.
“The purpose of the visit is to strengthen joint efforts and cooperation in the fight against terrorism,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. “The visit of the delegation symbolizes a strong alliance between the Islamic world in the fight against terrorism.”
The IMCTC delegation will be led by its Secretary General Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi, Radio Pakistan said. It will also inaugurate a special training program aimed at countering “terrorism” during its visit, the state broadcaster said.
Pakistan’s former army chief Gen. (retd) Raheel Shareef was appointed as the IMCTC commander-in-chief in 2017.
Pakistan enjoys cordial ties with most Muslim countries around the world, particularly Gulf Cooperation Council countries. In September 2025, Pakistan signed a landmark defense pact with Saudi Arabia according to which an act of aggression against one country will be treated as an act of aggression against both.
