US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss promoting “a durable peace between Israel and Iran,” the State Department said in a statement, according to Reuters. Both leaders "agreed to continue working together to strengthen Pakistan-US relations, particularly to increase trade", said a statement released by the Pakistan government.
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Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio |
The call came after Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire to end what President Donald Trump described as a "12-day war". It is yet another indication of Pakistan's close ties with both Tehran and Washington. Pakistan strongly condemned Israel's "unprovoked attack" and the US bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities. It also shows Washington’s growing engagement with Islamabad at a time when the Trump administration is exploring a new diplomatic initiative with Tehran, possibly “as early as next week”. President Trump met Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House last week where they discussed Iran, which Trump said Pakistan knew about better than most other countries.
Earlier in May this year, President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary Rubio arranged India-Pakistan ceasefire after 4 days of fighting between the two South Asian neighbors. Testifying before the US Congress earlier this month, the US Central Command Chief General Michael Kurilla described Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world”. This statement coincided with the Washington visit of the Indian parliamentary delegation led by Shashi Tharoor. Tharoor's delegation's aim was to "isolate Pakistan" after the Pahalgam militant attack in Kashmir which India blamed on Pakistan without presenting any evidence.
Pakistan also enjoys close ties with China and Russia. China-Pakistan friendship has meant significant diplomatic support and massive investment in infrastructure, as well as the state-of-the-art military hardware for the country's armed forces. Russia, too, has drawn closer to Pakistan. It has recently agreed to invest in a modern steel plant in Karachi where an abandoned Soviet-era steel mill stands today.
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Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense Ministers |
At a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense Ministers meeting in China, nine member countries(China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus) rejected India's attempt to insert a reference to Pahalgam in the joint statement. Earlier, India distanced itself from SCO's joint condemnation of Israel’s attacks on Iran. India also abstained from voting on a UN resolution regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, specifically related to the humanitarian situation in Gaza. This decision continues India's pattern of abstaining on resolutions criticizing Israel.
While India claims the mantle of the "Global South" leadership, its actions do not align with its ambition. On the other hand, Pakistan's policies and actions are much more aligned with those of the BRICS nations. Pakistan is not currently a member of the BRICS yet, but both China and Russia have publicly expressed support for its inclusion as a full member.
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Riaz Haq
Trump Truth Social Posts On X
@TrumpTruthOnX
We are very busy in the White House today working on Trade Deals. I have spoken to the Leaders of many Countries, all of whom want to make the United States “extremely happy.” I will be meeting with the South Korean Trade Delegation this afternoon. South Korea is right now at a 25% Tariff, but they have an offer to buy down those Tariffs. I will be interested in hearing what that offer is.
We have just concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves. We are in the process of choosing the Oil Company that will lead this Partnership. Who knows, maybe they’ll be selling Oil to India some day!
Likewise, other Countries are making offers for a Tariff reduction. All of this will help reduce our Trade Deficit in a very major way. A full report will be released at the appropriate time. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
https://x.com/TrumpTruthOnX/status/1950654905804279830
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Trump Says Pakistan Deal Done, South Korea Is Close
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/fed-meeting-interest-rate-decision...
The U.S. and Pakistan have concluded a trade pact, President Trump said Wednesday, adding that a deal could be close with South Korea.
Trump said on Truth Social that the U.S. has “concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves,” and is in the process of choosing a company to lead the partnership.
Trump also said he would meet with a South Korean delegation on Wednesday afternoon, who would bring an offer to “buy down” the 25% tariffs Trump has threatened to impose Aug. 1. Trump has previously pressed others to commit funds to build infrastructure and energy projects in the U.S., including the European Union and Japan.
Trump provided no further detail, but said "a full report" would be released "at the appropriate time."
Jul 30
Riaz Haq
Trump Truth Social Posts On X
@TrumpTruthOnX
I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory!
https://x.com/TrumpTruthOnX/status/1950776077204513135
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Jayant Bhandari
@JayantBhandari5
Who would have thought that in comparison to India, Pakistan would be better friends with the US and Russia and be a deep friend of China? Modi and Chouhan's grotesquely corrupt and braindead regime made that possible.
https://x.com/JayantBhandari5/status/1950735268014944354
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Amir Husain
@amirhusain_tx
President Trump has announced an energy partnership with Pakistan. CPEC has made immense progress. Gwadar port and airport are done and ramping up. Thousands of megawatts of energy have come online. Large dams are being built. Pakistan has one of the fastest growing solar economies in the world. A new cutting edge, 1.2GW Nuclear reactor based on third gen tech is presently being built with China. Pakistan will drive 600% growth in shipping capacity over just the next three years. Road networks have been added at great speed. Pakistan Railways has hit record revenue. Just last year, hundreds of kilometers of highways were built. This year over 1,000km have been approved. Oil lies off Pakistan’s coast, in Sindh and Balochistan. At least ten new discoveries have been made since just 2024. An estimated fifty trillion dollars’ worth of rare earths and minerals lies beneath the surface. A partnership is emerging with China in this area. The Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum was a huge eye opener. There were hundreds of international delegates there to do deals. At the last IDEAS conference in Karachi, $30B in defense MoUs were executed, a few billion of which have already converted to orders, including with Azerbaijan. The PSX stock index is near all-time highs while Pakistani equities remain one of the most affordable in the region based on P/E multiples. There is massive interest in Pakistan’s economy right now.
https://x.com/amirhusain_tx/status/1950711516950638846
Jul 31
Riaz Haq
Pakistan’s Surprise Gain in Trump Ties Reflects India’s Pain - Bloomberg
Islamabad is reveling in an unexpected turnaround in US relations
By Faseeh Mangi
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-08-08/pakistan-s-su...
Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up here.
Virtually alone in the world, Pakistan seems to have played its cards right with President Donald Trump.
It’s among the few countries to have reached a US trade dealwithout too many hiccups, unlike Switzerland, Brazil — or Pakistan’s arch-rival, India.
The first interactions between Islamabad and the Trump White House happened when India and Pakistan came close to war earlier this year, with both sides exchanging missile and drone strikes.
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.
Pakistan, meanwhile, has some assets that piqued Trump’s interest.
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. It’s secured US investments, with Trump posting about working with Pakistan to develop “their massive oil reserves.”
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.
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.
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.
Aug 8