US President Donald Trump on Wednesday credited Field Marshal Asim Munir with playing a key role in preventing a deadly conflict between Pakistan and India last month.
Speaking ahead of a luncheon he hosted for the army chief at the White House, Trump said Munir was “extremely influential” in helping de-escalate the situation from Pakistan’s side.
“This man [Asim Munir] was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistani side,” Trump told reporters. “They were going at it — and both are nuclear countries.”
“I stopped a war between two major nations,” he added.
Trump’s comments followed his recent phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. The US president reiterated that he had intervened to halt hostilities between the two South Asian neighbours, despite India’s claim that it reached a ceasefire with Pakistan independently, without Washington’s involvement.
“I stopped the war between India and Pakistan,” Trump said. “I love Pakistan, and [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night, and we will make a trade deal with Modi of India.”
The remarks highlight Trump’s attempt to position himself as a diplomatic mediator in a region facing growing instability, even as his version of events contrasts with India’s public stance on the matter.
