By Reuters
Copyright brecorder
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited American companies to invest in the country during a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House that also focused on how to end to the war in Gaza, his office said on Friday.
Sharif, along with army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, met Trump on Thursday, in a further sign of warming relations with the United States, which had been frozen under the previous US administration.
The Pakistani prime minister earmarked the agriculture, technology, mining and energy sectors for investment from US companies, his office said in a statement. Trump previously called for American companies to explore for oil in Pakistan.
“The Prime Minister expressed the confidence that under President Trump’s leadership, the Pakistan-US partnership would be further strengthened to the mutual benefit of both countries,” it said.
There was no immediate statement from the White House. Just before the meeting, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Munir “is a very great guy, and so is the prime minister”.
Pakistan’s military wields an outsized influence over politics and the army chief is widely considered the most powerful person in the country. Discussions also turned to the Middle East, where Pakistan is taking an increasing role. The prime minister’s office said that Sharif “lauded President Trump’s efforts to bring about an immediate end to the war in Gaza”.
