Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir — who is in the US on a visit — held meetings with top officials and underscored the importance of understanding the countries’ perspectives on regional security issues and developments affecting strategic stability in South Asia, the military’s media affairs wing said on Friday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief called on key government and military officials including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defence (retired) General Llyod J. Austin, Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown.

It stated that matters of bilateral interests, global and regional security issues, and ongoing conflicts were discussed during the meetings. “Both sides agreed to continue engagement for exploring potential avenues of bilateral collaboration in pursuit of shared interests,” the ISPR said.

During the meetings with defence officials, counter-terrorism cooperation and defence collaboration were identified as core areas of cooperation, it stated, adding that the leaders reiterated the intent to increase interaction and explore ways to expand the scope of mutually beneficial engagements.

The army chief underscored the importance of “understanding each other’s perspectives on regional security issues and developments affecting strategic stability in South Asia”.

“In this context, the COAS especially highlighted the importance of resolving the Kashmir issue in accordance with international law and relevant UNSC resolutions,” the ISPR statement said.

It further stated that Gen Munir interacted with the Pakistani overseas community during a reception hosted by the Embassy of Pakistan.

He appreciated the “positive role” being played by the Pakistani overseas community towards the country’s progress and development. “Pakistani diaspora anywhere around the world is held in high regard as they are ambassadors of Pakistan and contribute significantly to Pakistan in varying domains,” the ISPR quoted the COAS as saying.

The army chief also urged the diaspora to invest through the Special Investment Facilitation Council and highlighted that the US was the largest export market for Pakistan. Moreover, he dispelled rumours about special screening, denial of visas and detentions.

“The COAS met Mr Tanweer Ahmed who graciously donated $9 million for NUST in the field of IT development in Pakistan. COAS appreciated him and said Pakistan is proud of heroes like him,” the ISPR added.

COAS visit amid unsettled US-Pakistan relations: report

A day earlier, the Washington-based Foreign Policy magazine noted that the army chief was visiting Washington amidst an unsettled US-Pakistan relationship.

The report also noted that the departure of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021 has left both nations searching for new anchors in their partnership.

Gen Munir, unlike his predecessors, lacks strong ties to the West but emphasises warm officer-to-officer relations, a legacy of US-Pakistan education and training exchanges, the report added.

The report speculated that Gen Munir was seeking friendly relations with Washington motivated by economic concerns, as the United States was Pakistan’s top export destination and a crucial aid source.

According to the report, the army chief’s visit aims to address shared security concerns, particularly the resurgence of militancy in Pakistan while US priorities focused on the diminished Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) threat in Afghanistan, potentially affecting the incentive for collaboration with Pakistan.

Despite tensions over the expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, the US and Pakistan may find common ground on non-security issues like humanitarian aid in Afghanistan.

Gen Munir’s meetings with key US officials “will play a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of these complex bilateral ties,” the report stated.