‘Normalising ties’: Top Pakistan diplomat to hold talks with Trump officials

WASHINGTON: Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Tehmina Janjua will kick off her visit to the United States this week to hold talks with senior officials of the Trump administration on a host of bilateral and regional issues, reports say.

Alice Wells, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State was quoted by the Times of India as saying that Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary would be meeting the Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan at the State Department.

The top Pakistani diplomat is also scheduled to have some meetings with think tanks and will meet officials of the National Security Council.

“The Foreign Secretary is visiting tomorrow and she will be holding meetings with counterparts and government,” said Wells at a news conference here.

The US, she said, is certainly not walking away from Pakistan.

“There will be very intensive dialogue through both our military and our civilian channels to discuss how we can work together. I mean, Pakistan has an important role to play in helping to stabilise Afghanistan,” Wells said while responding a query.

US President slams Pakistan

Trump dramatically increased the pressure on Pakistan during a national address on August 22 last year in which he laid out a new strategy on the United States’ involvement in Afghanistan.

“We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting,” Trump said.

“That will have to change and that will change immediately.”

Relations between Pakistan and the US have fluctuated widely over the decades with Washington frequently accusing Islamabad of fueling the Taliban insurgency and destabilising Afghanistan.

Pakistan routinely dismisses US criticism of its efforts, saying the country has never received credit for the tens of thousands of lives lost and billions spent battling insurgents.

In its statement, which came after an hours-long cabinet meeting, Islamabad insisted it was fully participating in global counter-terror efforts.

“As a matter of policy, Pakistan does not allow use of its territory against any country. Instead of relying on the false narrative of safe havens, the US needs to work with Pakistan to eradicate terrorism,” it said.

Trump adds fuel to the fire

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan 1 the United States has “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 wrote 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.”

Pakistan hits back

Pakistan’s foreign minister, Khawaja M. Asif, wrote on Twitter “We will respond to President Trump’s tweet shortly inshallah…Will let the world know the truth..difference between facts & fiction.”

In countering U.S. criticism, Pakistan says it has launched military operations to push out militants from its soil and that 17,000 Pakistanis have died fighting militants or in bombings and other attacks since 2001.

https://arynews.tv/en/china-defends-ally-pakistan-trump-criticism/