US Lauds 'Phenomenal Partner' Pakistan In 'Combating Terrorism', Hosts COAS Asim Munir; 'Setback' Says Oppn

Not only has a senior United States military commander praised Pakistan as a "phenomenal partner" in combating Islamic State (Khorasan) terrorists, but the Trump administration is also set to host Pakistan's Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, whom India has accused of inciting the April 22 massacre in Jammu and Kashmir through a provocative speech.

Just days ahead of both President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the G7 Summit in Canada, the US State Department has indicated that Washington, D.C., remains interested in playing a mediatory role between India and Pakistan to help resolve the Kashmir dispute - despite New Delhi's firm rejection of third-party involvement in what it deems a bilateral matter.

Photo Credit: AP/PTI

"They are in an active counterterrorism fight right now, and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world," said General Michael Kurilla, Commander of United States Central Command (Centcom), in his address to the US Senate Committee on Armed Services on Tuesday. He commended the Pakistan Army's efforts in targeting ISIS-K militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

General Kurilla specifically highlighted the arrest of Mohammed Sharifullah, a senior ISIS-K operative allegedly involved in the planning of the suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, on 26 August 2021.

The blast killed 13 US service members and 169 Afghan civilians. He said the arrest underscored Pakistan's importance as a counterterrorism ally of the United States.

"That's why we need... to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India," General Kurilla stated in response to questions from senators. "We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has."

The Trump administration has extended an invitation to Field Marshal Asim Munir to attend the US Army Day celebrations on 14 June.

On 16 April, Munir had referred to Kashmir as the "jugular vein" of Pakistan during a speech at the Overseas Convention of Pakistanis in Islamabad. In that address, he defended the "two-nation theory", which led to the partition of British India and the formation of Pakistan in 1947, and stated that Muslims must teach their children about their distinct identity from Hindus.

India later claimed that Munir's speech, which it described as communal and inflammatory, inspired a group of Pakistani and Pakistan-trained terrorists to carry out an attack in Baisaran near Pahalgam on 22 April, killing 26 people, most of them tourists. Soon after India conducted military strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied areas on 7 May, the Shehbaz Sharif-led government promoted Munir to the rank of Field Marshal. Pakistan's military retaliation led to a four-day cross-border conflict, which ended on 10 May.

The US invitation to Munir comes shortly after Indian all-party delegations visited Washington, D.C., and other global capitals to reiterate India's policy of 'zero tolerance' towards cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan. The delegation also met US Vice President J D Vance, who was in India - visiting New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra - at the time of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Diplomatic setback for India: Congress

The opposition Congress party criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, calling the US gesture a "huge diplomatic setback for India".

"This is the man who spoke in such incendiary and provocative language just before the Pahalgam terror attacks. What is the US really up to?" posted Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on X. "This is another huge diplomatic setback for India," he added, taking a swipe at the central government.

Despite repeated denials by New Delhi, President Trump has continued to assert that his administration brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan to prevent the conflict from escalating into a "bad nuclear war".

He has also reiterated his offer to mediate the Kashmir dispute, prompting India to reiterate that the matter is strictly bilateral and leaves no room for outside intervention.

Commenting on this, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told journalists on Tuesday: "What I do know is that I think we all recognise that President Trump, in each step that he takes, it's made to solve generational differences between countries, generational war." She added, "So, it doesn't - it shouldn't - surprise anyone that he'd want to manage something like that (the Kashmir dispute)."