‘Embarrassment for Pakistan’: Indian Defence Secretary Reacts to Trump’s Meeting with Army Chief Asim Munir

India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has criticised Pakistan’s political structure, calling it “embarrassing” that its army chief, General Asim Munir, was hosted by former US President Donald Trump at the White House, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was notably absent.

In an interview with news agency ANI, Singh said the unusual optics of a military chief engaging in high-level diplomacy without the civilian head of state reflect where the true power lies in Pakistan.

“It must be an embarrassment to any country that the military chief gets invited, and the prime minister is nowhere to be seen. It’s a very strange thing,” Singh remarked, indirectly referring to the meeting.

Singh further pointed out the structural imbalance in Pakistan’s governance, highlighting General Munir’s influential role in the country’s Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), which is responsible for making key economic decisions.

“I always found it very strange that this gentleman sits on something called the Investment Facilitation Council, which basically makes economic decisions,” Singh noted.
“It’s a structurally imbalanced state where the military essentially has the first claim on resources. With a $370 billion economy, they redirect resources away from pressing social and economic needs into conflict preparedness.”

He added that despite Pakistan’s internal imbalances, India must maintain a strategy of deterrence in dealing with its neighbour.

Trump-Munir Meeting: What Was Discussed

General Asim Munir recently met with Donald Trump at the latter’s invitation at the White House. After the meeting, Trump said he was “honoured” to host the Pakistani army chief and thanked him for maintaining peace with India, describing both countries as “very smart” for avoiding conflict.

Trump also stated that Iran was a topic of discussion, saying, “They [Pakistan] know Iran very well, better than most, and they’re not happy about anything. And he agreed with me.”

A statement released by the Pakistan Army claimed Trump showed a “keen interest” in building a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on “long-term strategic convergence and shared interests.”