ISLAMABAD: JD Vance has become the fifth vice president of the United States to visit Pakistan, marking the first such trip since the visit of Joe Biden in 2011.
His arrival coincides with high-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, which Shehbaz Sharif has described as “make-or-break” talks aimed at turning a fragile two-week ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement.
The talks follow a ceasefire announced by Donald Trump after six weeks of conflict that involved US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets.
Past US Vice Presidents Who Visited Pakistan
Several US vice presidents have travelled to Pakistan over the decades, reflecting the long history of diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
- Richard Nixon (1956): As vice president, Nixon visited Karachi on July 9, 1956, where he met Pakistan’s then president Iskandar Mirza during the early years of Pakistan-US relations.
- Lyndon B. Johnson (1961): Johnson travelled to Karachi on a goodwill mission on behalf of President John F. Kennedy and met President Ayub Khan. The visit became memorable for his meeting with a camel cart driver, Bashir Sarban, whom he later invited to the United States.
- Dick Cheney (2007): Cheney made an unannounced visit to Pakistan on February 26, 2007, holding talks with then president Pervez Musharraf amid regional security concerns.
- Joe Biden (2011): Biden arrived in Islamabad on January 12, 2011, for a brief but high-level visit, meeting President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Earlier, in 2008, he had visited Pakistan as chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee to observe general elections.
US Presidents Who Visited Pakistan
Over the years, several US presidents have also visited Pakistan, highlighting the strategic ties between the two countries.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower (1959): The first US president to visit Pakistan, Eisenhower was welcomed by President Ayub Khan in Karachi, where large crowds greeted his motorcade.
- Lyndon B. Johnson (1967): Johnson made a brief stopover in Pakistan on December 23, 1967, during his presidency.
- Richard Nixon (1969): Nixon visited Lahore on August 1, 1969, and held talks with President Yahya Khan.
- Bill Clinton (2000): Clinton paid a short visit on March 25, 2000, meeting President Rafiq Tarar and military ruler Pervez Musharraf.
- George W. Bush (2006): Bush visited Pakistan on March 3–4, 2006, meeting President Pervez Musharraf and taking part in public engagements, including a cricket interaction with local players.
The visit of JD Vance adds another chapter to the history of high-level US diplomatic trips to Pakistan, taking place at a critical moment as Islamabad hosts negotiations aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East.