Pakistan Army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has drawn sharp criticism back home after presenting a box of rare earth minerals to US President Donald Trump during his recent Washington visit. The gesture has triggered debate over the military’s growing role in diplomacy, traditionally the domain of civilian leadership.
Leading the backlash, Senator Aimal Wali Khan likened Munir’s act to a shopkeeper flaunting merchandise before a customer. “Our Chief of Army Staff is roaming around with a briefcase containing rare earth minerals. What a joke! It was absolute mockery,” Khan said in Parliament. A video of his remarks has since gone viral.
What joke . In what capacity the Army Chief is carrying minerals in a brief case? Asks Aimal Wali Khan of ANP pic.twitter.com/mYhzWbnFnV
— Fakhar Ur Rehman (@Fakharrehman01) October 1, 2025
The Trump–Munir Photo-Op
The White House earlier released a photo of Trump examining a wooden box of rare earth minerals presented by Munir, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stood by. The optics drew attention because the exchange followed a meeting between Pakistani leaders and Trump, and coincided with the signing of an MoU between Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organisation and US Strategic Metals for joint exploration of strategic minerals.
This marked Munir’s third US visit in five months, underlining Pakistan’s deepening engagement with the Trump administration.
Senator Khan, who heads the Awami National Party, doubled down on his criticism, saying, “Which Chief of the Army Staff would go around carrying a briefcase with rare earth minerals? It looked like a big, branded store — a manager watching on happily as a shopkeeper tells a customer to purchase a big, glittery thing from him.”
The criticism reflects simmering unease in Pakistan over the Army’s assertive role in foreign policy, often overshadowing the civilian government.
