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US could lift aid suspension if Pakistan takes steps: State Department
WASHINGTON: The United States could consider ending a suspension of security assistance to Pakistan if Islamabad takes ‘decisive and sustained’ actions against militant groups in the country, the State Department’s No 2 official said on Tuesday. “We may consider lifting the suspension when we see decisive and sustained actions to address our concerns, including targeting […]
WASHINGTON: The United States could consider ending a suspension of security assistance to Pakistan if Islamabad takes ‘decisive and sustained’ actions against militant groups in the country, the State Department’s No 2 official said on Tuesday.
“We may consider lifting the suspension when we see decisive and sustained actions to address our concerns, including targeting all terrorist groups operating within its territory, without distinction,” Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Sullivan, however, told the committee the Trump administration has so far seen no evidence that Pakistan has met its demands for a crackdown on extremist groups operating on Pakistani territory. The US government last month said it was suspending at least $900 million in security assistance to Pakistan until it takes action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network militant groups.
Pakistan has long rejected accusations that it fails to tackle militants battling the government in neighboring Afghanistan and US-led foreign forces there, from sanctuaries on its side of the border.
After Washington announced the aid suspension, Pakistan criticised what it called ‘shifting goalposts’ and said the move was counter-productive.
In his New Year tweet, US President Donald Trump had said that the United States ‘foolishly’ handed Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years while getting nothing in return and pledged to put a stop to it. “They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” Trump had written on Twitter. “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools.” The New York Times had reported on Dec 29 that the Trump administration was ‘strongly considering’ whether to withhold $255 million in aid to Pakistan.
It said US officials had sought but been denied access to a member of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network captured in Pakistan who potentially could provide information about at least one American hostage.
Hamdullah Mohib, Afghanistan’s ambassador in Washington, had said in a Twitter posting that Trump’s tweet was a ‘promising message to Afghans who have suffered at the hands of terrorists based in Pakistan for far too long’.
Pakistan Army asserts that the aid Pakistan received from the US was “reimbursement for support we gave to the coalition for its fight against Al Qaeda.” “Had we not supported the US and Afghanistan, they would never have been able to defeat Al Qaeda,” he had said.
“The armed forces are working with friends and want to continue doing so, but there can be no compromise on our national honour. We do not want a conflict with our friends, but will ensure the security of Pakistan,” he had added.
Later, US State Department had also placed Pakistan on a special watch list for ‘severe violations of religious freedom’, days after the White House said Islamabad would have to do more to combat terrorism and receive US aid.
Published in Daily Times, February 7th 2018.
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