US President Donald Trump has announced that he might visit Pakistan to seal the deal with Iran, if it happens. At the same time, he has hinted that the deal was likely to happen.
"I would go to Pakistan, yeah. Pakistan has been great... If the deal is signed in Islamabad, I might go. The Field Marshal has been great. The Prime Minister has been really great in Pakistan. I might go. They want me," Trump said.
“If” it happens, it will be after 20 years that any US President will be visiting Pakistan. The last US President to visit Pakistan was George W Bush in 2006. That was a token visit after Pakistan had cooperated with the US against Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks to hunt for Al Qaeda terrorists, who had carried out 9/11 attacks. Since then Pakistan had remained a pariah for the US for its overt and covert support to terrorism.
While Pakistan had no option after the US told it in blunt terms, “with us or against us” after the 9/11 terror attack, it continued to play double game which was revealed when the 9/11 mastermind was traced to Quetta in Pakistan and will killed in a US military operation inside Pakistan. That was probably the lowest point in Pakistan diplomatic history. It was not only embarrassed but isolated as well.
It indeed will be a great transformation, if Trump happens to visit Islamabad in context of the peace deal with Iran. Pakistan has been hosting the peace talks. Recently, US Vice President JD Vance visited Islamabad to talk to a high-level Iranian delegation. The talks broke down after 21 hours of marathon negotiations. As Trump sounds confident to the extent claiming that Iran has agreed to hand over the enriched uranium, he may well end up visiting Islamabad personally to “seal the deal”.
In all likelihood he will add “ending the Iran war” also to his “Nobel Peace” prize claims, even though it was he himself who started the war by attacking Iran along with Israel.
As the entire South Asia in general and India in particular is watching with surprise and curiosity, it needs to be recalled that during his first presidential term, Trump had been completely hostile towards Pakistan. In January 2018, he had suspended about $2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan for sheltering the terrorist groups like the infamous “Haqqani Network”. He went to the extent of saying, Pakistan had given the US nothing but “lies and deceit”.
Compared to that Trump, in his first term, further strengthened and consolidated the US ties with India. He specially visited India and attended a public meeting held in Ahmedabad stadium that was specially completed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his honour to host the ‘Namaste Trump’ rally there. Modi also held a rally in support of Trump for his re-election in the US, which he lost though. Trump and Modi had built up a personal bonding with each other.
When Trump got elected again for his second term in November 2024, there was jubilation and expectation across India. On the other hand, there was strong concern in Pakistan. Besides, the Pakistan establishment was apprehensive that he might also interfere on behalf of Imran Khan, whom Trump used to describe as his good friend.
Also read: The dangers of Presidential rhetoric
But to the pleasant surprise of Pakistan, things took a completely different turn in Trump’s second term. Much credit is given to Pakistan army chief Asim Munir. As he happens to be the de facto ruler of the country, he personally guided and navigated Pakistan’s relationship with the US despite Trump’s record having been hostile.
Munir took a leaf from the book of the then military dictator Pervez Musharraf who provided full cooperation to the US in its anti-Al Qaeda operations in Afghanistan. He helped the US agencies to arrest Mohammad Sharifullah, who was linked to the Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 US troops in Afghanistan. Trump specially acknowledged this gesture and praised Pakistan during his address to the US Congress.
As hostilities broke between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of Pahalgam terror attack last May, Trump tried to intervene to finish the war. As the war ended, he wanted to claim credit for it. Pakistan acknowledged his role in the ceasefire, while India rejected such claims. Not just that, Pakistan also recommended Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump subsequently hosted Munir for lunch in the White House. Pakistan launched Crypto Council in March 2025 and appointed Bilal bin Saqib as crypto adviser to the Prime Minister with the rank of a minister. Saqib is also a strategic advisor to the World Liberty Financial, which deals with crypto currency and is closely linked with Trump family, which has maximum stakes in it.
Iran war came as a godsend opportunity for Pakistan. It offered itself as a peacemaker. Since Trump was desperate to end the war, he gave Pakistan the go ahead. Although there are some other countries also which are working behind the scenes for peace like Turkey, Egypt and China, Pakistan came on the forefront. The peace process seems to be working and the deal appears to be in the offing to the extent Trump is preparing himself to visit Pakistan.
Last, but not the least, Pakistan also hired multiple “lobbying firms” in the US with access to the White House by paying huge monthly charges to the tune of $600000 dollars. One such firm, Javelin Advisers is founded by one of Trump’s former bodyguards Keith Schiller and George Sorial, who also has worked with Trump. Another firm that Pakistan hired is Seiden Law, founded by Trump’s former investigator Robert Seiden. Besides, Pakistan also hired Squire Patton Boggs, Orchid Advisers and Conscience Point Consulting. These firms provided Pakistan direct access to the White House and the country capitalised on it.
Pakistan actually grabbed the opportunity. Normally it is the Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Amman, which have earlier performed the roles of the peace brokers in the region. Since they are right now part of the war, the role fell on Pakistan. Besides, Trump’s European allies, who could also help in brokering peace, have maintained a distance this time.
Last but not the least, there is nothing consistent and permanent about Trump. He can be as unpredictable as he always has been. For Trump, everything comes with an expiry date, including “good friendships”.
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