KEY POINTS
- PM Sharif will join select Muslim leaders in New York
- Meeting with Trump to cover regional peace and economic issues
- Pakistan expected to raise Kashmir and Palestine issues
- Gathering reflects shifting alignments in Middle East diplomacy
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will join a select group of Arab leaders for a meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Officials believe that the upcoming high-level interaction aims at regional peace, economic cooperation, and evolving Middle East alignments.
The Foreign Office, in a statement issued in Islamabad on Sunday, confirmed that PM Sharif would take part in the “meeting of select Muslim leaders with US President Trump,” adding that the exchange would cover “issues about regional and international peace and security.”
The Foreign Office also stated Pakistan would use the platform to highlight the situations in Kashmir, Palestine, chiefly Gaza.
Earlier, diplomatic sources told Daily Times that groundwork for the engagement was laid during PM Sharif’s recent visits to Doha and Riyadh, where talks with Qatari and Saudi leadership focused on energy cooperation, defense partnerships, and investment initiatives.
These discussions, the sources noted, were intended to align positions ahead of the New York session.
According to officials quoted by Arab News, Trump is expected to emphasise his economic and security agenda, particularly seeking expanded defense and trade arrangements with Gulf partners.
Analysts said the format reflects Washington’s efforts to consolidate Arab input at a time of shifting alliances, including Saudi-Iran rapprochement and renewed debates over US commitments in the region, in addition to the recent Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement between Riyadh and Islamabad.
“This is as much about projecting collective intent as it is about immediate policy outcomes,” a researcher at the Gulf Research Center told Reuters, adding that Pakistan’s participation underscores its aim to reinforce ties with Arab states while keeping its relevance in U.S. policy circles.
While diplomats cautioned that no dramatic breakthroughs are likely, they suggested the joint meeting could serve as a springboard for further cooperation in trade and security.
With conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine and volatility in global energy markets, leaders are expected to weigh both near-term risks and long-term regional alignments.
