Pakistan PM Sharif Praises Trump’s ‘Peace’ Role but Secures No Bilateral Meeting in Washington
Washington— Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly endorsed US President Donald Trump at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, crediting him with preventing a potential India-Pakistan conflict — even as his Washington visit concluded without a bilateral meeting with the American leader.
Addressing the multilateral gathering, Sharif lauded Trump’s intervention during heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, saying it had “potentially averted loss of tens of millions of people.” He described Trump as “a man of peace” and praised his “unique initiative” and “dynamic leadership.”
“You have truly proved to be a man of peace,” Sharif said, adding that Trump’s diplomacy had brought calm to several global flashpoints. In a striking endorsement of Washington’s role in South Asia, he declared, “We are truly savior of South Asia.”
Sharif also voiced support for the Gaza peace framework unveiled at the meeting, stating that “the people of Palestine have long endured illegal occupation and immense suffering.” He called for “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination through the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous state of Palestine,” and said Trump’s efforts would “mark a place in the annals of history.”
No One-on-One With Trump
Despite Sharif’s public backing of Trump’s diplomatic claims, no bilateral meeting was scheduled between the two leaders on the sidelines of the event. Diplomatic sources indicated that Pakistan had sought a one-on-one engagement with the US President, but it did not materialize.
An anticipated meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department’s Foggy Bottom headquarters also did not take place, according to sources familiar with the visit.
The absence of formal bilateral talks was notable given Sharif’s strong endorsement of US mediation in South Asia. While Islamabad publicly embraced Washington’s role in de-escalation, the visit did not yield a standalone engagement with top US leadership.
Trump’s Account of Mediation
Earlier at the event, Trump described his intervention during a recent spike in India-Pakistan tensions. He claimed he warned both sides that trade negotiations would be halted unless the situation was resolved.
“I’m not doing trade deals with you two guys, if you don’t settle this up,” Trump said, adding that he threatened to impose “200 per cent tariffs on each of your countries” if hostilities continued.
“These are two very powerful nations. These are two nuclear nations,” Trump said. “And I don’t wanna say what was gonna happen, but, you know, bad things happen.”
He added that “we worked out a deal” within days and noted he had spoken to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as “a great man.”
A Region Under Watch
India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed neighbors, have fought multiple wars since 1947 and remain divided over Kashmir. Though ceasefire arrangements have largely held in recent years, periodic flare-ups continue to draw close international scrutiny.
Sharif’s praise for Trump underscored Islamabad’s public embrace of US involvement in regional de-escalation. However, the lack of confirmed bilateral meetings during the visit suggests that diplomatic optics did not translate into direct engagement at the highest levels.
