 "Sharif sidelined at Tianjin, Asim Munir flew to China for SCO summit; first Pak army chief to do so")
Amid reports of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif being sidelined at the SCO Summit , army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir flew to Tianjin on Monday.
This was the first time that an army chief flew in to join the SCO Summit, which is a gathering of civilian heads of governments. However, Munir’s attendance yet again showed to the world who holds true power in Pakistan — just like his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House .
As per reports, Munir’s agenda involves meetings with visiting heads of states and senior Chinese officials.
The SCO Summit in Tianjin has been the largest so far and has been overshadowed by visuals of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaging warmly one-on-one as well as in a group of three. Observers in the West have seen such visuals as a sign of India’s snub to the United States in the wake of Trump’s tariff war on the country — Trump has slapped 50 per cent tariffs on India for buying Russian oil.
What is Munir’s agenda in China?
Munir arrived in China separately on Monday in line with the protocol that mandates that the prime minister and the army chief do not travel together, according to The Print.
Munir held closed-door discussions with senior Chinese officials and prepared for a possible meeting with Putin, the report said.
If any meeting between Munir and Putin took place, it has not been formally acknowledged so far.
The report further said that Munir is likely to attend China’s military parade on Wednesday. He will join the likes of Putin and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un at the parade.
Separately, CNN-News 18 reported that Munir joined Shehbaz in the meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the SCO Summit.
“Munir will be part of Sharif’s bilateral meetings with Chinese officials…Major security meetings are happening in China. Munir is likely to hold meetings with other key states members in China," sources told CNN-News 18.
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