Washington, Jun 18: US President Donald Trump will host Pakistan's Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at the White House on Wednesday.

The lunch meeting is scheduled to take place at 1:00 p.m. in the White House's Cabinet Room, as per the official presidential schedule.

The reports of the meeting come just days after the White House denied that Munir was invited to the US Army's 250th-anniversary celebrations held on June 14, contradicting earlier claims of his attendance at the parade.

Munir, who arrived in Washington on Sunday for a five-day official trip, is also expected to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to Pakistani daily Dawn.

The visit has been described as "primarily bilateral in nature" and aimed at reinforcing military and strategic ties between the two nations.

This meeting also comes amid the escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel, a conflict that entered its sixth consecutive day. While Trump demanded "unconditional surrender" from Iran, the Pakistani Army chief had earlier expressed support for Tehran.

This is Munir's first official trip to the United States since the April 22 terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians.

The attack, claimed by Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba's offshoot, The Resistance Front, drew strong condemnation from India and heightened tensions with Pakistan.

India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar linked the Pahalgam massacre to what he termed as the Pakistani Army Chief's "extreme religious outlook."

Speaking to reporters last month, Jaishankar asserted, "To understand that, you have to see that on the Pakistani side, especially their Army chief, who is driven by an extreme religious outlook. There is clearly some connection between the views that were expressed and the manner the attack was carried out."

The conflict subsided after Pakistan reached out to India with a ceasefire proposal.

Trump had claimed credit for brokering the truce, stating that he used trade leverage to encourage both parties to step back.

However, New Delhi swiftly denied that the United States played any mediatory role.

While Munir's visit is being presented as an effort to stabilise military ties, it has not been without controversy. Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan staged a protest outside the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, where Munir is staying.

The protesters, chanting slogans and accusing him of human rights abuses, labelled the Army Chief as the "Pakistanio ke qatil" and "Islamabad ke Katil," turning the luxury hotel into an impromptu demonstration site.

One protester was heard shouting "Geedad, geedad, geedad (jackal, jackal, jackal)" -- a pejorative expression meaning cowardliness and deception -- as vehicles carrying officials arrived at the venue.

The episode, captured on video, quickly circulated on social media and was widely seen as a public embarrassment for the Pakistani military establishment.

(IANS)

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