Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is expected to travel to Sri Lanka from 20–23 July, according to people familiar with the planning. It will be his first visit to the island nation since his elevation to the rarely awarded rank of field marshal earlier this year. Munir is slated to meet President Ranil Wickremesinghe, senior defence officials and service chiefs, with discussions likely to focus on expanding military training and equipment cooperation. Pakistan supplied arms, munitions and intelligence that helped Colombo end its war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009, and the two countries held their fifth Armed Forces Defence Dialogue in Islamabad in April. The trip comes as Pakistan faces severe fiscal stress, with external debt topping $133 billion and the civilian government enforcing strict austerity that restricts foreign travel for cabinet ministers. Munir’s high-profile overseas itinerary has therefore drawn domestic scrutiny, underscoring the contrast between military privileges and civilian belt-tightening.