Weeks After Munir's Meeting With Trump, Pak Air Force Chief Visits US
New Delhi: In a first such visit in over a decade, Pakistan’s chief of air staff Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu has visited the US.
The Pakistan air force chief’s visit comes weeks after Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to the US wherein he met with president Donald Trump.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) said in a statement on Wednesday (June 2) that Sidhu’s visit will further enhance bilateral defence cooperation and mutual interests, reported Press Trust of India.
The PAF statement added that this high-level visit is a strategic milestone in the Pak-US defence partnership and the visit will play a significant role in addressing key regional and global security issues as well as building institutional ties.
Among those whom the PAF chief met in the US were US Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs Kelly L. Seybolt and Air Force Chief of Staff General David W. Elon. Sidhu met both at the Pentagon wherein the two sides agreed to create new avenues for bilateral military cooperation, mutual affairs, joint training and technology exchange.
Sidhu also highlighted the historical and multi-faceted ties between the two countries, particularly in the defence sector and reiterated Pakistan's commitment to strengthen the existing relations between the air forces of the two countries when it comes to military cooperation and training.
Sidhu also met Brown L. Stanley of the Bureau of Political and Military Affairs and Eric Meyer of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs during his visit to the US State Department.
While visiting Capitol Hill, Sidhu held meetings with members of the US Congress, including Mike Turner, Rich McCormick, and Bill Heizenga.
On June 18, US president Donald Trump had hosted Field Marshal Munir for lunch at the White House, marking the first time a US president has hosted a Pakistani army chief without senior civilian officials in attendance.
Trump had said that he was “honoured” to meet Munir when he was asked about the meeting by reporters later. He then added that the reason he invited him was to “thank him for not going into the war” – presumably with India.
After the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians lost their lives on April 22, India had launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, which involved precision strikes of terror sites in Pakistan, following which there was a four-day period of cross-border shelling and strikes until a ceasefire was announced by Trump.
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
