Modi avoids Trump meeting over potential Asim Munir Interaction: Bloomberg

WASHINGTON:  The well-known American magazine Bloomberg has revealed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to accept the invitation of the US President due to the fear of a possible meeting with Field Marshal Asim Munir.

According to Bloomberg magazine, on June 17, the US President had invited Indian Prime Minister Modi for dinner, but Modi declined.

According to the report, Modi was afraid that the US President might possibly make him meet Field Marshal Asim Munir, which he was avoiding.

Bloomberg also says that on the same day, there was a 45-minute-long telephone conversation between Modi and the US President, in which tensions began between the two leaders.

Against this tense backdrop, relations between India and the US began to cool down. Its impact was visible when US President Donald Trump declared the Indian economy “dead”.

Later, after the same conversation, Donald Trump increased the tariff on Indian products to 50 percent. Which will be implemented on August 17.

Reports by the American magazine Bloomberg and the Washington Post claim that Pakistan has become the preferred and favorite country of US President Donald Trump at a time when India is facing severe pressure on the economic and diplomatic fronts.

According to Bloomberg, Pakistan has played its cards well by conducting strategic diplomacy with Donald Trump.

The report added that Pakistan is among the select few countries that have recently signed a bilateral trade agreement with the US.

Bloomberg further says that Pak-US contacts began when border tensions between India and Pakistan increased.

On this occasion, important contacts were held between Field Marshal Asim Munir and the Trump administration, which included statements regarding a ceasefire and cooperation.

The report also points out that Pakistan has natural resources, such as gold and copper, which can be important for US interests.