ISLAMABAD (APP): US Ambassador David Hale on Thursday called on National Security Adviser Nasser Janjua and shared views with him on US President Donald Trump’s new policy for South Asia.
US acknowledges Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war against terrorism and it is hoped that Pakistan will continue to play its cooperative role, the US diplomat said at the meeting.
“The additional US troops in Afghanistan will also act against Pakistan’s enemies,” he said, adding that the US is aware of Pakistan’s concerns over India’s role in Afghanistan. He also said that Washington is ready to help reduce Pakistan-India tensions.
Hale said the US president did not blame Pakistan for [US] failure in Afghanistan. “President Trump didn’t speak of military solution to Afghan issue; it is a component of the regional policy.”
He added that Pakistan’s role toward resolution of Afghan issue has not been ruled out.
Earlier this month, Trump cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops to Afghanistan, backtracking from his promise to rapidly end America’s longest war while pillorying ally Pakistan for offering safe haven to “agents of chaos.”
“We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting,” he said, warning that vital aid could be cut. “That will have to change and that will change immediately.”
In response, Janjua said Pakistan is carefully analysing new US policy and it is pondering over all options. “The statement by the US president hurt sentiments of the Pakistani people and government.”
He said that Pakistan was wrongly accused and threatened, which gave a negative perception, adding, “Pakistan’s nuclear weapons were wrongly linked to terrorists and the new US policy created an atmosphere of uncertainty and regional imbalance”.
The Pakistani NSA stressed that everyone should work together for ending dispute in Afghanistan.
