The White House has firmly denied reports that Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, was invited to a high-profile military parade in Washington, calling the claims “false”. A White House official stated, “No foreign military leaders were invited.”
The parade, set for Saturday, June 14, is being promoted as one of the largest military displays in the United States in recent decades. It marks the anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army on June 14, 1775, and also happens to coincide with former President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, who is expected to take the salute at the event.
Thousands of U.S. troops, tanks, military aircraft, helicopters, and parachute regiments are participating, with a large flyover planned. The event is seen as a symbol of American military strength and is also expected to bolster Trump’s public image amid his re-election campaign. Military parades are rare in the U.S., with the last one held in 1991 after the Gulf War victory.
The alleged invitation to Pakistan’s military chief triggered strong political reactions in India. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described it as a diplomatic failure, while the Shiv Sena (UBT), in its mouthpiece Saamana, claimed it was a deliberate attempt to undermine India’s global standing, and criticised the ruling BJP for not reacting strongly enough to the alleged snub.
However, with the White House clarifying that no foreign military figures were invited at all, the narrative surrounding General Munir’s supposed presence was debunked — a development that also undermines Pakistan’s attempt to score a symbolic diplomatic point over India. The perceived ‘win’ followed a relatively low-profile visit to the U.S. by a Pakistani delegation earlier this year, led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, which failed to secure meetings with senior U.S. officials.