ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump will meet the leaders of Muslim countries Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkiye, Indonesia and others today, Tuesday, in a multilateral meeting at the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed.
Pakistan’s foreign office said on Sunday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would join “select” leaders of Muslim countries in a meeting with Trump at the sidelines of the UNGA. The foreign office had said both sides “would exchange views on issues pertaining to regional and international peace and security.”
The meeting takes place at a crucial time for the Middle East region as Israel ramps up its military operations in Gaza, where it has killed over 65,000 people since October 2023. Several Muslim nations have rallied against the Israeli forces and urged the international community to hold Tel Aviv accountable for the killing of innocent civilians.
“The president will also later in the day hold a multilateral meeting with Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkiye, Pakistan, Egypt, the UAE and Jordan,” Leavitt said during a press briefing on Monday.
Pakistan’s PM arrived in New York on Monday to attend the 80th session of the UNGA, which takes place amid raging conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine and rising tensions in the South Asia region, from Sept.23-29.
Sharif’s meeting with Trump also reflects Pakistan’s improving ties with Washington. After years of strained relations during the Joe Biden administration over differences on several key issues, Islamabad and Washington have warmed up to each other during Trump’s ongoing tenure.
Pakistan praised the American president and nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize after he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan on May 10. The militaries of the two nuclear-armed neighbors had engaged in the worst fighting between them since 1999, killing over 70 on both sides of the border before Washington intervened.
Pakistan’s ties with the US also improved after Washington’s relations with India took a turn for the worse when Trump announced trade tariffs against New Delhi earlier this year. Islamabad and Washington, on the other hand, finalized a trade deal.
Sharif, who is in the US to lead Pakistan’s delegation during the UNGA session, will draw the world’s attention to atrocities in Palestine and Kashmir, hold bilateral meetings with world leaders and senior UN officials and also attend key seminars and events, the foreign office said in an earlier statement.
MULTIFACETED COOPERATION WITH GCC
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Ishaq Dar met the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi at the sidelines of the UNGA, the foreign office said.
“DPM/FM underscored the importance Pakistan attaches to its relations with the GCC and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening multifaceted cooperation with the Member States of the Council,” the statement said.
It added that the two sides discussed enhancing cooperation in various sectors and expanding institutional linkages between Pakistan and the GCC.
