• Diplomats head back to Washington to prepare, but officials remain guarded about prospects of ‘flagship engagement’ at the White House
• Premier asks IMF to take flood damage into account as lender’s team meets govt officials in Islamabad today
• In joint statement after meeting Trump, Muslim bloc leaders reject forced displacement from Gaza

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s diplomacy-packed US visit is expected to reach a climax in a White House meeting with President Donald Trump today (Thursday).

During his whirlwind tour, PM Shehbaz has attended UNGA sessions, a key multilateral summit of the Muslim bloc, as well as side meetings with the heads of international financial institutions in New York.

All signs now point to a flagship engagement in Washington, though officials remain guarded about specifics.

The PM’s media team, the staff at Pakistan’s embassy and its UN mission, all describe the meeting as being “almost certain”.

This is evident from the fact that several senior diplomats have already returned to Washington to prepare. Members of the embassy’s media staff are also shifting back to the capital, while journalists from Pakistan covering the visit are arranging a quick trip south.

In a media interaction, when asked by reporters about the possibility of his meeting with President Trump on Thursday, PM Shehbaz simply smiled and said that he would speak about it the following day.

Sources also suggest that Field Marshal Asim Munir may join the PM for the meeting in Washington. Earlier this year, the army chief became the country’s first military commander to be invited to the White House for a bilateral meeting.

Nevertheless, there was still no overt official confirmation that the meeting with Trump would take place, at the time of going to press.

When asked about the possibility of the meeting, a senior State Department official artfully referred journalists to the president’s schedule. However, Trump’s schedule for Thursday was yet to be released at the time of going to press.

Meeting with IMF, WB officials

Earlier, in a meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva, PM Shehbaz urged the lender to take into account the recent flood damage in its upcoming review for the country.

An IMF team is due in Islamabad today (Thursday) to begin talks with the government.

Ms Georgieva expressed her sympathy for all people affected by the floods, a PM Office statement said.

PM Shehbaz also met World Bank (WB) Group President Ajay Banga and praised the bank’s support for the country.

Also on Wednesday, the premier met with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and attended a high level meeting of the Global Development Initiative, convened by his Chinese counterpart, Li Qiang.

Joint statement

Following their meeting on Wednesday, PM Shehbaz and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also had some one-on-one face time with President Trump.

A Foreign Office statement on X, alongside a video of the brief rendezvous, described it as an informal exchange. The video showed the US president warmly greeting PM Shehbaz and FM Dar, followed by a brief conversation.

The joint statement, issued after the meeting of Muslim leaders with the US president, underscored the unbearable situation in the Gaza Strip, including the humanitarian catastrophe and high human toll, as well as its serious consequences for the region and impact on the Muslim world as a whole.

The leaders of Muslim nations reiterated their common position, rejecting the forced displacement of people from Gaza. They emphasised the need to end the war and achieve an immediate ceasefire that would ensure the release of hostages and allow the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid as the first step toward a just and lasting peace.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2025