In recent years, essential food items in Pakistan like wheat flour, meat, and rice have at times more than doubled in cost, in what economist and former finance minister Miftah Ismail called a "disastrous" situation for the poor and the working class. Munir is visiting the USA to rebuild ties and has so far met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin, Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown.