US - Pakistan Relations: Amid Tensions, Trump Meets PM Imran Khan To Discuss Afghanistan, Kashmir

President Donald Trump on Monday welcomed Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to the White House where they discussed the two sides' relationship, along with the Kashmir and Afghanistan conflicts.

The Trump administration has been pressuring the Pakistani government to achieve a peace agreement in Afghanistan, since the Pakistan government wields influence over the Taliban fundamentalist group.

During the meeting, Trump boasted about U.S. military power in Afghanistan.

"I could win that war in a week. Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the earth," Trump said. He then added that such a move was not an option due to the large number of people who would be killed during such an operation.

The U.S. and Pakistan have had strained relations in recent years. Trump has called Pakistan a supporter of terrorism and tweeted that they "do nothing for us." The Trump administration cut aid to Pakistan to just $71 million this year, a major decrease from $3 billion during the Obama administration.

"Pak has suffered enough fighting US's war. Now we will do what is best for our people & and our interests," Khan responded in a tweet. The "U.S.'s war" was in reference to the war in Afghanistan.

The two sides then discussed the Kashmir conflict, a disputed area of land between northern India and Pakistan. "If I could help, I would love to be a mediator," Trump said about the conflict.

India launched airstrikes into Pakistan in February due to allegations that a Pakistan-based terror group was behind an attack in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops. Pakistan then shot down two Indian jets over Kashmir.

Khan, a former professional cricket player and philanthropist, became prime minister after his Pakistan Movement for Justice (PTI) party won the majority in 2018 elections and despite allegations of vote-rigging. Khan has called for closer ties to China and Iran and said he wanted Pakistan to have a more "balanced" relationship with the U.S.

Prior to Khan's visit with Trump, Pakistani authorities arrested Hafiz Saeed, the founder of a militant group that was behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, in a move that some might believe is Pakistan's way of showing the U.S. it is serious about its commitments to fighting terrorism.

"We've seen this happen in the past. And we have been looking for sustained and concrete steps, not just window dressing," a senior administration official told reporters Friday.