ISLAMABAD (TNS) Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir is on an official visit to the US, where he has held important meetings with the top political and military leadership of the US as well as members of the Pakistani-origin community. The Army Chief expressed his best wishes for Admiral Cooper and expressed hope that mutual cooperation will continue to tackle common security challenges. The Army Chief also met with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kane, in which professional matters were discussed. Field Marshal Asim Munir also invited General Kane to visit Pakistan.
On this occasion, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also held informal meetings with the defense chiefs of friendly countries. During an interactive session with the Pakistani community during his US visit, the Army Chief urged overseas Pakistanis to have faith in the bright future of the country and play an active role in promoting investment. Members of the Pakistani community reiterated their commitment to fully support Pakistan’s development and prosperity. It may be recalled that this is the second official visit of Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to the United States this year. Earlier, the Army Chief had visited the United States on an official visit in June where he met US President Trump over lunch at the White House on the invitation of the latter. During the meeting, the Chief of Army Staff expressed his sincere gratitude to President Trump for his constructive and fruitful role in facilitating the ceasefire between Pakistan and India in the recent regional crisis. President Trump was accompanied by US Secretary of State Senator Marco Rubio and US Special Representative for Middle East Affairs Mr. Steve Witkoff in the meeting in June, while Pakistan’s National Security Advisor also attended the meeting with Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Field Marshal Asim Munir had appreciated President Trump’s insight and leadership in understanding and solving complex challenges faced at the global level. On this occasion, President Trump praised Pakistan’s continuous efforts for regional peace and stability and appreciated the strong cooperation between the two countries in the field of counter-terrorism, while the two sides reiterated their commitment to continue cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism. According to the White House, US President Donald Trump said after the meeting that it was an honor to meet Field Marshal Asim Munir, thank him for not going to war because both Pakistan and India are nuclear powers. He said that Field Marshal Asim Munir was invited to lunch to thank him for preventing war. Donald Trump said that during the meeting with the Field Marshal, the recent issue of Iran and Israel was also discussed, Pakistan knows Iran very well. According to the ISPR, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended the farewell ceremony of the outgoing Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) General Michael E. Korilla and the assumption of charge ceremony of the new Commander Admiral Brad Cooper in Tampa. The Army Chief appreciated General Korilla’s excellent leadership and his valuable services in strengthening bilateral military cooperation, while extending his best wishes to Admiral Brad Cooper and expressed confidence that common security challenges will continue to be addressed through mutual cooperation. The Army Chief also met with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Keane, in which matters of mutual professional interest were discussed, on this occasion he invited General Dan Keane to visit Pakistan. During the visit, the Army Chief also held informal meetings with the defense chiefs of friendly countries. In a dialogue session with the Pakistani community, the Army Chief encouraged them to remain confident in Pakistan’s bright future and play an active role in promoting investment. The Pakistani community reiterated its commitment to fully cooperate in the development and prosperity of Pakistan. According to a statement issued by the ISPR, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir met US President Donald Trump at the White House. The high-level meeting took place during lunch in the Cabinet Room, which was followed by a visit to the Oval Office. Recall that Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah is a five-star general of the Pakistani Army, the current and 11th Chief of Army Staff. Before assuming the post of Army Chief, he was commanding as Quartermaster General at GHQ. He commanded the Gujranwala Corps from 17 June 2019 to 6 October 2021. He served as the 23rd Director General of ISI. Field Marshal Asim Munir received the “Sword of Honor” for his performance as a cadet at the Officers’ Training Academy, Mangla.Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif appointed him as the 17th Chief of Army Staff on 24 November 2022. Asim Munir is the first Chief of Army Staff to have headed both the MI and ISI intelligence agencies. In May 2025, Asim Munir was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal, making him the second person in the history of Pakistan to reach this rank, before him only Ayub Khan had this honor. Asim also became the first and only head of the Pakistan Army to serve in this position along with the rank of Field Marshal. The rank of Field Marshal is a prestigious and five-star honorary position, which is higher than the rank of General. Asim Munir is from the 17th course of the Officers Training School in Mangla. He was commissioned in the 23rd Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment. He started his military career on 25 April 1986. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in September 2018 and later appointed as DG ISI. He had previously served as the Director General of Military Intelligence. He was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in March 2018. He had previously served as the commander of the military forces deployed in the northern areas of Pakistan. Field Marshal is a senior rank in the army. The army chiefs of the US, NATO countries and the UK are also four-star generals like Pakistan. There have been examples of giving the rank of Field Marshal to the chiefs of the army forces in these forces too. After the ceasefire with India, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the army men and officers, said, “We have taken revenge on India for the 1971 war.” He also said in this speech that he was a personal witness to how Army Chief Asim Munir created a successful war strategy against India. On May 20, 2025, the Government of Pakistan promoted Army Chief General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal. On May 22, 2025, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif awarded Army Chief General Asim Munir the Baton of Field Marshal. The rank of Field Marshal is the rank of a five-star general and is given by the government in recognition of the exceptional services of the army chief. It may be recalled that before this, General Ayub Khan was the only army chief in the history of Pakistan to be given this position when he was also the President of the country.
According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, given during a meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, it should be noted that this development came after the four-day war between Pakistan and India. The statement said that ‘the Government of Pakistan has approved the promotion of General Syed Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal for ensuring the security of the country and defeating the enemy on the basis of the high strategy and courageous leadership of the Battle of Haq, Operation Banyan Marsus.’ It was further said that the federal cabinet declared that ‘Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir led the Pakistan Army with exemplary courage and determination and fully coordinated the war strategy and efforts of the armed forces. And thanks to the unparalleled leadership of the Army Chief, Pakistan achieved a historic victory in the Battle of Haq. It was also said that ‘in recognition of his (Asim Munir’s) brilliant military leadership, courage, and bravery, ensuring Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and courageous defense against the enemy, the cabinet has approved the Prime Minister’s proposal to promote General Syed Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal.’ ‘Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met President Asif Ali Zardari and took him into confidence regarding this decision.’ The federal cabinet had also decided that ‘officers and men of the Pakistan Armed Forces and Pakistani citizens belonging to various sectors will be awarded high government awards in recognition of their services during Operation Banyan Marsus.’ Later, in a press release issued by the Public Relations Department of the Pakistani Army, General Asim Munir said that ‘I dedicate this honor to the entire nation, the Armed Forces of Pakistan, especially the civil and military martyrs and ghazis. According to the ISPR, General Asim Munir further said, “I am grateful for the trust of the President of Pakistan, the Prime Minister and the cabinet. This honor is a trust of the nation, to which millions of Asims have sacrificed themselves. This is not an individual honor, but an honor for the Pakistani Armed Forces and the entire nation.
“It may be recalled that on June 19, 2025, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir had said in Washington that Pakistan would continue to play a responsible and proactive role in reducing tensions in the region and promoting a mutual security framework. In his talks with prominent scholars, analysts, policy experts and representatives of international media organizations, Field Marshal Asim Munir also explained Pakistan’s balanced stance on regional and global conflicts, ‘which emphasized dialogue, diplomacy and adherence to international laws.’ In his meeting with representatives of think tanks and strategic affairs institutions, he had an opportunity to present Pakistan’s principled stance on regional and global issues and highlight Pakistan’s strategic vision in a better way. The Chief of Army Staff highlighted Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to regional peace and stability and its constructive role in promoting a principles-based global order, while the Field Marshal also explained Pakistan’s stance on ‘terrorism’, citing the details and analysis of the Battle of Haq, Operation Banyan Marsus. Field Marshal Asim Munir had stressed that some regional elements are trying to create unrest in the region by using terrorism as a weapon of hybrid warfare. The Chief of Army Staff had highlighted that Pakistan has been at the forefront of the war against terrorism worldwide and has made immense sacrifices in terms of lives and finances for a peaceful and secure world. Field Marshal Asim Munir also highlighted Pakistan’s immense potential in the meeting in Washington and said that the path to shared prosperity in the region can be paved through global investment and partnership, especially in the fields of information technology, agriculture and minerals. He had also invited global partners to explore opportunities for cooperation in these areas.
The Chief of Army Staff highlighted the historic cooperation between the two countries in areas such as counter-terrorism, regional security and economic development and stressed the importance of a broader and multifaceted relationship based on mutual respect, shared strategic interests and economic cooperation. After Field Marshal Asim Munir met with President Trump, a statement issued by the ISPR said that the ongoing tension between Iran and Israel was also discussed in detail in the meeting. In the meeting with the US President, they also discussed enhancing cooperation in trade, economic development, minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency and emerging technologies.
