The White House officially rejected reports saying that US President Donald Trump should visit Pakistan, declaring: “A trip to Pakistan was not planned at the time,” a White House official said on Thursday.
Earlier, Reuters reported, citing local news channels that Donald Trump should visit Pakistan in September. The two local news channels said Trump would also visit India after arriving in Islamabad in September.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson said he was not aware of Trump’s expected visit. A spokesperson for the United States Embassy in Islamabad told Reuters: “We have nothing to announce,” said the White House could be able to confirm the president’s calendar. The Pakistan Ministry of Information did not respond to a Reuters request for a comment.
According to Anadolu, Pakistani diplomatic sources also denied information on the media that US President Donald Trump was to visit the South Asian nation on September 18.
Sources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the news traveling on Trump’s trip were “false” while the American president visited the United Kingdom between September 17 and 19.
“We have no information on such a visit. If there is such a thing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will officially announce this,” a senior ministry official told Anadolu.
Find out more: Trump calls for the meeting of Coas bring an honor to the White House lunch
Local News Channel, citing officials from the anonymous ministry, reported that Trump had to visit Pakistan on September 18. An international news agency and several media reported the news, citing the broadcaster.
However, the news channel then removed the report and apologized for managing an “unconfirmed” story. According to a previous schedule, the American president should visit a visit to the state in the United Kingdom between September 17 and 19.
Read also: Pakistan and India accept the immediate ceasefire
Relations between the Pakistani government and the Trump administration have been strengthened in recent months, following the active intervention of the latter to negotiate a cease-fire between the long-standing competitors of India and Pakistan after a four-day conflict in May.
The escalation between Pakistan and India began on April 22 when a Pahalgam attack killed 26 people. India immediately blamed Pakistan for the incident. However, Pakistan categorically rejected the Indian blame.
In response, India has launched missile strikes that hit six cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Cashmire (AJK), destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children and the elderly.
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In a rapid military response, the Pakistan armed forces have shot down Indian war planes, including three Rafale planes. The confrontation was again intensified in the early hours of May 10, when India targeted several Pakistani air bases with missile strikes. In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, damaging Indian military facilities, including missile storage sites, air bases and other strategic targets.
Last month, Trump also welcomed Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munnir, at the White House, in an unprecedented diplomatic development.
Donald Trump said it was an honor to meet the chief of staff of the army staff (COAS), Marshal Asim Mnir in a lunch organized in the White House.
Addressing the media after the event, Trump expressed his gratitude to the military leader of Pakistan for having visited and recognized the role of the army leader by helping to avoid a new military escalation with India.
“It’s an honor for me to meet Asim Munir,” said Trump. “I invited him to thank him for not having gone to war. He deserves the appreciation of having helped to obtain the ceasefire. ”
“Pakistan and India are both nuclear powers,” said the American president. “We are in talks with Pakistan on a trade agreement. The management of the two nations is really remarkable. ”
