Overview

• Free Press Journal reported a newly circulated photo of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir showing rare earth samples to President Trump during a White House meeting last week.
• The White House issued no official photographs or statement on the encounter, according to the report.
• On September 8, Pakistan oversaw the signing of two MoUs with United States Strategic Metals covering critical-mineral exports and potential processing facilities, with Sharif’s office citing an initial phase of roughly $500 million.
• The agreements are non-binding signals of interest rather than mining licences, and analysts say large-scale extraction and processing will take years.
• Experts link the outreach to a bid to deepen ties with Washington and balance Chinese investment, noting the minerals—antimony, copper, gold, tungsten and rare earths—are vital for industry, defense and clean-energy technologies.