Sajjad Ali, a Karachi resident, told the news agency that talks with the current US administration cannot work and that the bloodshed will not end without a change of government in Washington. He said people want peace, a better economy and lower oil prices.
Asim Zafar, also from Karachi, said he hopes the result will hold Trump back and could help stop “injustices” against Muslim countries.
A bet on one man
Pakistan’s courtship of Trump began early in his second term, with Munir emerging as Islamabad’s main channel to the White House. Trump has repeatedly called Munir his “favourite field marshal”.
Their lunch at the White House in June 2025 was unusual: no Pakistani civilian officials were present, placing the military at the centre of the rapprochement. Pakistan’s military said their discussions covered not only security but also mining, energy and cryptocurrency.
Islamabad subsequently joined Trump’s Board of Peace and nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, crediting him with helping end the May 2025 conflict between India and Pakistan. New Delhi, however, denies that US mediation halted the hostilities.
Pakistan’s role in mediating between Washington and Tehran later gave the relationship greater strategic importance. Islamabad relayed messages between the two sides and hosted talks in April 2026. But the Islamabad Agreement that followed quickly faltered, limiting the diplomatic gains from Pakistan’s intervention.
Despite the high-level engagement, the economic returns have so far been limited. The US Export-Import Bank approved $1.25 billion in December 2025 for Pakistan’s Reko Diq copper and gold project. But a separate request for a $10-billion US Treasury facility remains unanswered, Reuters reported.
Deals that may come under review
The political risk for Islamabad comes from a series of arrangements that connect Pakistan to Trump’s family or close associates.
Pakistan has signed memoranda to explore payments using USD1, a stablecoin issued by Trump-linked World Liberty Financial. The arrangement does not, by itself, mean Pakistan has adopted the currency for official payments.
Islamabad has also signed a memorandum to redevelop the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan. The deal was negotiated by US envoy Steve Witkoff. Also, Pakistan placed a limited drone order with Powerus, whose investors include Trump’s sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump.
The arrangements could attract scrutiny from a Democratic-controlled Congress because of their links to the President’s business network. The White House has denied any conflict of interest. Asked by Reuters about Powerus in September, spokeswoman Anna Kelly said, “There are no conflicts of interest.”
What Pakistan still has
Analysts told Reuters that Pakistan has some options. Michael Kugelman of the Atlantic Council said its counter-terrorism work and Iran diplomacy have support from both parties, and that Democrats are more likely to blame Trump than Pakistan for questionable deals.
He also warned of a risk: Pakistan put so many of its “diplomatic eggs” in the White House basket that it may have little left for the Democrats.
