Trump’s Favourite Field Marshal and Pakistan’s Unpaid Bill

Donald Trump called Asim Munir his “favourite field marshal”. Pakistan, however, needs more than a compliment. It needs money to meet its obligations, reliable defence supplies and a foreign policy that serves its people.

According to my sources, Munir led the Trump administration to believe that he could secure a deal with Iran on terms favourable to Washington. He could not deliver. Iran was never his to deliver in the first place.

That is the problem with making promises on behalf of another country. You may win attention for a while, but eventually someone asks what happened to the promise. When an army chief makes those commitments in Pakistan’s name, the consequences reach well beyond his own reputation.

WHERE ARE THE TEN BILLION DOLLARS

Pakistan’s request for a $10 billion US support facility was widely discussed as a possible benefit of its improved relationship with Washington. Reuters reported the request in July. By 5 November, The News was reporting that the United States had declined it. [1][2]

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb says Pakistan can manage without the money. That may be so. But it does not answer the question: what did Munir’s much-celebrated access to Trump actually deliver?

We were shown the meetings and told about the personal relationship. Now we should be shown the results.

The American political situation has changed as well. Reuters reported that Democrats won both chambers in the midterms, with Trump acknowledging that the Iran war contributed to his party’s losses. Greater congressional scrutiny of his administration’s dealings is now a reasonable prospect. [3]

My assessment is that this makes Washington more cautious about relationships built around personal promises and political favours. It does not mean every US institution has turned against Munir. Nor does the funding refusal, by itself, prove that Washington is punishing him over Iran. It means his personal access has clear limits—and Pakistan cannot afford to confuse that access with lasting support.

NOW QUESTIONS OVER CHINA

When relations with Washington become difficult, Pakistan’s military establishment often presents China as the dependable alternative. But what happens when Beijing also has concerns?

A senior source at GHQ Rawalpindi has told me that China has stopped exporting defence equipment to manufacturers serving Pakistan’s Air Force and Army. The source says JF-17 Thunder spare parts are included. I have cross-checked this account with other sources, who blame Munir’s policies.

This is my confidential-source reporting. The halt has not been publicly confirmed, and its full scope, duration and cause remain unclear.

It is nevertheless a serious report requiring a serious answer. Are the supplies continuing normally? If there is a problem, what caused it and what is being done to resolve it?

The JF-17 is a joint Pakistani–Chinese programme. If essential supplies are interrupted for long enough, maintenance and production could come under pressure. That does not establish that aircraft are grounded. It does explain why the authorities should answer questions about supply continuity. [4]

Munir cannot take credit for every foreign-policy success while leaving others to explain the failures. If he is the man making the promises, he must answer when those promises fall short.

PAKISTANIS ARE LEFT WITH THE BILL

Meanwhile, the borrowing continues.

Writing in The News on 8 November, Dr Naazir Mahmood put liabilities above Rs100 trillion and raised the wider problem of political instability and unelected influence over economic decisions. The figure needs a clear label: total debt and liabilities are broader than public debt. Figures for June put the former at about Rs99.6 trillion and gross public debt at Rs86.7 trillion. [5][6]

Those figures also came with some improvement in debt ratios and servicing costs. But an improvement in a ratio does not end the need to borrow, repay and find the money for public services. Pakistanis are entitled to ask how long their country will keep moving from one lender to another.

China’s markets and Panda bonds may offer financing options. They still involve obligations. Moving the borrowing elsewhere does not solve the reasons Pakistan keeps needing support.

Our economic problems did not begin with Munir. Civilian governments have made serious mistakes too. But that cannot become an excuse for military leaders who exercise power over politics and economic policy without facing voters.

Elected governments are interrupted, leaders are removed, policies change and the public is told to wait for the next rescue package. The people making the biggest decisions remain difficult to hold accountable. Ordinary Pakistanis have far less room to escape the consequences.

WHO WILL ANSWER

Pakistan needs workable relations with America, China, Iran and the Gulf. It needs leaders who understand what they can promise and what they cannot.

Parliament should ask what commitments were made over Iran, what happened to the American facility request and whether Chinese defence supplies have been interrupted. These questions can be answered without putting sensitive technical information into the public domain.

Above all, Pakistan needs an elected government with real authority and the freedom to carry out its work. An army chief’s personal relationships cannot replace it.

Trump can choose his favourite field marshal. Pakistanis should be able to choose the people making decisions in their name—and demand answers when those decisions go wrong.

Munir received the praise. Pakistanis are entitled to ask why they are still being handed the bill.

Sources

[1] Reuters, 21–22 July 2026, Pakistan’s request for a $10 billion facility: https://www.investing.com/news/economy-news/exclusivepakistan-seeks-10-billion-in-us-backstop-facility-to-boost-reserves-source-says-4804036

[2] Mehtab Haider, The News, 5 November 2026, US support request and the finance minister’s response: https://www.thenews.pk/print/1447009-as-us-declines-10bn-support-pakistan-secures-3bn-through-eurobond-aurangzeb

[3] Reuters, 4 November 2026, Trump and the midterm results: https://www.investing.com/news/politics-news/trump-acknowledges-iran-played-role-in-republican-midterm-losses-4997350

[4] Pakistan Defence Export Promotion Organization, Air Systems: https://depo.gov.pk/airSystem.php

[5] Dr Naazir Mahmood, The News, 8 November 2026, “A revolving door to economic ruin” (opinion): https://www.thenews.pk/print/1447500-a-revolving-door-to-economic-ruin

[6] Shahbaz Rana, The Express Tribune, 13 August 2026, Debt and liabilities near Rs100tr. Figures refer to June 2026: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2623570/debt-liabilities-near-rs100tr