In a blistering address at a conclave, Laura Loomer — a prominent far-right activist and confidante of President Donald Trump — said that "Islamic terrorism" as Pakistan's primary export. She urged Washington to distance itself from the Shehbaz Sharif administration. Loomer, who remained a fixture by Trump’s side throughout his campaign, claimed that extremist networks in Pakistan were directly linked to recent terror attacks in India and the United Kingdom.
Loomer argued that Pakistan functions as an "openly jihadist" state. She alleged that a significant number of global Islamist attacks can be traced back to the country. To support her position, she pointed to the recent conviction of Asif Merchant, a Pakistani national involved in a plot to assassinate Trump and other senior US officials— an operation allegedly orchestrated on behalf of Iran. According to Loomer, this incident alone serves as proof that the bulk of international terrorism is rooted in Pakistan.
These remarks come at an awkward time for Islamabad, which has been engaged in a transparent charm offensive to win over the Trump administration. In recent months, Pakistan has sought to curry favour by signing cryptocurrency deals, crediting Trump with de-escalating last year’s border conflict with India, and even formally proposing him for the Nobel Peace Prize. This strategy appeared to be yielding results, particularly with the recent signing of a $500 million agreement regarding critical minerals and rare earths.
When questioned about how her hardline stance aligns with the President's recent engagements with Islamabad, Loomer admitted she had discussed the threat of "Islamic terror" with Trump personally. Although she expressed a personal distaste for the welcome these individuals receive in the Oval Office, she also acknowledged the reality of the complexities of international diplomacy, which Trump, as President, must deal with. However, the rhetoric of Loomer indicates that, despite the recent rapprochement, the distrust of Pakistan’s strategic role, as perceived by Trump’s inner circle, appears to remain as strong as ever.
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