New Delhi: Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir is set to travel to Tampa this week to attend the official farewell ceremony of the U.S. CENTCOM Commander General Michael Kurilla.
The event, scheduled to take place at CENTCOM Headquarters in MacDill Air Force Base, follows Kurilla’s praise of Pakistan a few weeks ago for its counter-terrorism cooperation. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) had invited Munir to attend the change of command ceremony. This will be Munir’s second visit to the US after his tour in June that included a two-hour luncheon meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. Later, Pakistan nominated Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
Kurilla earlier was awarded Pakistan’s prestigious Nishan-e-Imtiaz (military) last month in a high-profile ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Islamabad. According to Radio Pakistan, the award recognised General Kurilla’s “outstanding contributions to regional security and dedicated efforts in enhancing US-Pakistan strategic defense cooperation.”
In Tampa, Munir will attend a private dinner being hosted on 8 August by Florida-based Pakistani-American businessman Adnan Asad, sources told ThePrint. The dinner will bring together a select group of guests from military, business, and diplomatic communities.
Adnan Asad, a cousin of the late Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, is a prominent figure with deep-rooted connections in political, military, and business circles. Based in Florida, Asad owns Venus Group, a company that has long provided military-grade food and logistical supplies to international defense contractors, including during periods of major overseas military deployments.
Once a small-time tissue paper manufacturer, Asad’s business empire expanded significantly during Musharraf’s rule. He had cultivated close relationships with now-jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.
In August 2019, he hosted an extravagant pre-wedding celebration for his daughter in Karachi, famously dubbed the ‘Mika Singh Night’. The event featured a performance by pop singer Mika Singh and was attended by family members of India’s most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, according to several media reports.
