PM Nawaz likely to meet Trump in Saudi Arabia

• A senior Pakistani official suggests PM is preparing ‘brief’ for possible interaction with Trump

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to meet US President Donald Trump for the first time on the sidelines of the US-Arab Islamic summit in Saudi Arabia this month during which he can brief the US president about the ongoing tension with India, a media report said Monday.

Efforts are underway to arrange a maiden bilateral meeting between Trump and Sharif on the sidelines of the summit on May 21, a newspaper reported.

The meeting, if takes place, will provide an opportunity to both the sides to listen to each other’s perspective as well as concerns on a range of issues covering bilateral cooperation and current regional and international issues, the report said.

A senior Pakistani official, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the prime minister was already preparing a ‘brief’ for a possible interaction with the US president.

The official said the ‘brief’ includes the country’s position on the current situation in Afghanistan and the way forward and the ongoing tension with India.

On both the issues, officials here believe that the US administration could play a more proactive role in order to prevent regional countries pitting against each other for their strategic interests.

Some of Trump’s aides have openly expressed concern over the deteriorating Indo-Pak ties.

There are strains in ties between India and Pakistan over a number of issues, including the cross-border terror attacks in India and sentencing of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav to death on charges of spying.

Before Trump’s election, there were apprehensions that he could bring radical changes in its foreign policy, especially in South Asia.

But just weeks after he won the US presidential elections, he spoke to the prime minister by phone. That telephonic conversation had made headlines across the globe because of Trump’s unprecedented praise for Nawaz’s leadership as well as for Pakistan.

Islamabad released a full transcript of the telephonic conversation in which Trump reportedly said he would love to come to “a fantastic country, a fantastic place of fantastic people.”

“Please convey to the Pakistani people that they are amazing and all Pakistanis I have known are exceptional people,” the US leader had told the prime minister.

“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, you have a very good reputation. You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way. I am looking forward to seeing you soon,” the statement quoted Trump as saying. “I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be an honor and I will personally do it. Feel free to call me anytime even before 20th January that is before I assume my office.”

His unusual praise for Pakistan and the prime minister was in total contrast to some of the statements he made previously about Pakistan.

While the Trump may have faced flak from the media back home, Pakistani authorities took it as an opportunity to reset the troubled ties with the US under the new administration.

Since Trump formally took over as the US president in January, he has not yet explicitly spoken on Pakistan, except that telephonic call with the prime minister. Officials here are encouraged by the fact that since four months into the office, the new US government has not given any negative statement on Pakistan.

The likely meeting between Trump and Nawaz would come against the backdrop of reports that the US administration is all set to announce a policy on Afghanistan.

Trump’s military aides have indicated that more troops would likely be deployed in Afghanistan to break the stalemate. The increased foreign troops in the neighbouring country mean that Pakistan would remain critical for the US when it comes to putting a peaceful end to the lingering conflict in Afghanistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that Trump, in a tweet from 2011, had said, “Get it Straight: Pakistan is not our friend.”

In a tweet in March 2016, Trump had claimed that he “alone could solve the problem” after a terrorist attack targeting Christian women and children left 67 dead in Pakistan.