Sharif praises Trump, meets Rubio in Washington

Washington: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised US President Donald Trump’s leadership at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, crediting him with preventing a potential India-Pakistan war, while also holding talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his Washington visit.

Addressing the multilateral gathering, Sharif said Trump’s intervention had “potentially averted loss of tens of millions of people” and declared: “You have truly proved to be a man of peace.”

He went further, telling Trump that “we are truly savior of South Asia,” in a strong endorsement of Washington’s role in regional de-escalation.

Sharif praised Trump’s “unique initiative” and “dynamic leadership,” saying his “bold diplomacy has surely brought calm to many international serious hotspots.”

The Pakistani leader also backed the Gaza peace framework unveiled at the meeting, stating that “the people of Palestine have long endured illegal occupation and immense suffering” and calling for “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination through the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous state of Palestine.”

He said Trump’s efforts would “mark a place in the annals of history.”

Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Sharif in Washington, and the State Department confirmed that Rubio thanked Pakistan for its “ongoing support of President Trump’s Peace Plan for Gaza” and for participating in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace as a founding member.

According to the State Department, Rubio also offered condolences for the January 31 attacks in Balochistan and the February 6 bombing in Islamabad, reaffirming the importance of continued U.S.-Pakistan partnership in counterterrorism efforts.

The two sides discussed Pakistan’s participation in the recent Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington. They also reviewed cooperation in the critical minerals and energy sectors, as well as commercial investment opportunities for American companies.

Notably, while Sharif secured a meeting with Secretary Rubio, no standalone bilateral meeting with President Trump was scheduled on the sidelines of the event.

Earlier in the day, Trump described how he intervened during heightened India-Pakistan tensions, claiming he warned both sides: “I’m not doing trade deals with you two guys, if you don’t settle this up.” He also claimed that he threatened “200 per cent tariffs on each of your countries” if the confrontation continued.

Referring to the episode, Trump said, “These are two very powerful nations. These are two nuclear nations. And I don’t wanna say what was gonna happen, but, you know, bad things happen.” He also said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as “a great man.”

India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed neighbours, have fought multiple wars since 1947 and remain divided over Kashmir. While ceasefire arrangements have broadly held in recent years, tensions between the two countries continue to attract close international attention, particularly during periods of escalation.

IANS