October 2, 2025

Drama unfolds as Pakistani senator Aimal Wali Khan fiercely criticizes Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir for carrying rare earth minerals in a briefcase while meeting US President Donald Trump. Khan called it "what a joke! It was absolute mockery." He wondered aloud, "Which chief of the army staff would go around carrying a briefcase with rare earth minerals?" His words painted a funny picture: "To me, it looked like a big, branded store – a manager watched on happily as a shopkeeper tells a customer to purchase a big, glittery thing from him." Khan questioned Munir’s role and authority in this unusual act, asking, "In what capacity? Under which law? This is dictatorship. I'm sorry to say this is not democracy...is this not contempt of parliament?" Earlier, Khan compared Munir’s presentation of rare earth minerals to Donald Trump to an “elite designer shop,” showing his skepticism about the army chief's involvement in strategic resources. The moment that stirred this controversy was captured in a photograph shared by the White House. It shows Munir handing over a wooden box filled with rare earth minerals to Trump during Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent US tour in the Oval Office. This trip marked Munir’s third visit to the US since a tense Pakistan-India conflict in May. Trump has claimed credit for helping end this cross-border clash and was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Pakistan for allegedly mediating the truce. However, India has rejected Trump’s involvement, saying the ceasefire talks were directly handled between Pakistan and India. Quick background: On May 10, Pakistan asked India for a ceasefire after four days of border fights. These followed India's Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that tragically killed 26 civilians. This rare earth minerals saga and the heated political debate around it have become the latest spicy chapter in Pakistan's complex relationship with its army and international diplomacy. What’s next on this drama stage? Only time will tell!

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Tags: Aimal wali khan, Asim munir, Rare earth minerals, Donald trump, Pakistan army, Shehbaz sharif,