Trump brags of 'massive' oil deal in Pakistan - but drilling has not found any

Source: The Guardian

Trump brags of ‘massive’ oil deal in Pakistan – but drilling has not found any

Announcement of deal baffles experts and former ministers, who say there is no sign of any untapped reserves

Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi and Shah Meer Baloch in Islamabad
Sat 27 Sep 2025 12.00 BST
Last modified on Sat 27 Sep 2025 12.01 BST

The newfound camaraderie between the US and Pakistan was on full display this week as Donald Trump welcomed Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and the country’s powerful army chief, Asim Munir, into the Oval Office, heralding them both as “great leaders”.

Having been cold-shouldered by successive US presidents, this was the first time a Pakistani prime minister had been invited to Washington in more than six years. It was also the unprecedented second time this year that Munir – who holds no official government role – held an intimate meeting with Trump, which many took as a telling signal of where the power to cut deals really lies in Pakistan.

Islamabad’s charm offensive with Trump since his re-election has included handing over to the US a high profile member of Islamic State’s affiliate in Afghanistan and publicly crediting the US president with preventing hostilities between India and Pakistan escalating into all-out war, even nominating Trump for the Nobel peace prize for his efforts.

Yet what has appeared most effective is Pakistan’s touting of its allegedly untapped natural resources – namely oil, minerals and gas – for US exploration. ...

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/27/pakistan-us-oil-deal-analysis-trump