‘Modi declined Trump invite to avoid meeting FM Asim Munir’

WASHINGTON: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declined the invitation extended by US President Donald Trump to visit the White House, Bloomberg reported, so that he would not have to meet Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

In a separate report, it also says that Pakistan is virtually the only country in the world, which played its cards well to deal with Trump.

According to Bloomberg, Modi thought Trump might ask to meet the Pakistani army chief after the US president wanted him to travel to Washington DC.

The two leaders were in Canada to attend the G-7 summit in mid-June.

It also says that the 35-minute call between Trump and Modi proved to be a turning point in the US-India relations.

Meanwhile, the situation worsened so rapidly that Trump decided to impose 50 per cent US tariffs on India which till early May proudly presented itself as strategic US ally.

However, it is no more the case as Trump now considers just a “dead economy“.

PAKISTAN STANDS OUT

Bloomberg says Pakistan is “among the few countries to have reached a US trade deal without too many hiccups, unlike Switzerland, Brazil — or Pakistan’s arch-rival, India”.

It says the first interactions between Islamabad and the Trump White House happened when India and Pakistan came close to war earlier this year.

Just hours later, “Trump announced a ceasefire that Pakistan welcomed with open arms, while India repudiated the president’s claim that he’d brokered the truce”.

“With hindsight, India’s relations with the White House went downhill from there”.

But how Pakistan is able to please the Trump administration at a time when the trade war and tariffs have jolted the global alliances and partnerships.

Here too, Bloomberg provides the answer.

UKRAINE-LIKE MINERAL DEAL

“It has one of the world’s largest untapped gold and copper resources, leading to speculation the US may want a similar minerals deal to one struck with Ukraine.”

Thus Pakistan “secured US investments, with Trump posting about working with Pakistan to develop ‘their massive oil reserves’.”

Meanwhile, there is another factor.

“Then there’s crypto. Representatives of Trump-backed World Liberty Financial flew into Islamabad around the time of the Pakistan-India clashes and announced a deal to work with Pakistan as it opens up to digital currencies.

All this culminated in a surprise lunch meeting at the White House for Army chief Asim Munir, the most powerful person in Pakistan. Soon after, its government said it would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Bloomberg also notes another interesting feature: the Pakistani success without any prior “high-level contacts.

“It’s a turnaround from recent US relations, with hardly any high-level contacts between Pakistan and the Biden administration. India, by contrast, was long courted by the US as a bulwark against China.”

But the things have changed. The two foreign ministers — Ishaq Dar and Marco Rubio — have contacted each other on phone multiple times. They have even met in person during Dar’s visit to the US.

Read more: Dar and Rubio exchange views on world and regional issues, tariffs

At the same time, Rubio has talked to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif too more than once.

Read more: Rubio tells Shehbaz US wants to work with Pakistan for peace in region

SWEET vs SWEAT

However, Bloomberg also mentions both the challenges Pakistan faces and the relief in Islamabad.

“Pakistan has its troubles: It’s on the front line of climate change, and only stabilized its economy with the help of loans from the International Monetary Fund.”

“Yet there’s relief in Islamabad that Pakistan can look forward to warm ties with the Trump administration. That new sense of confidence is all the sweeter as India sweats.”