Trump seeks "great relationship" with new Pakistani leadership

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he looks forward to meeting the new leadership in Pakistan, underlining that his country wants a “great relationship” with the long-time ally.

Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Trump asserted that a meeting with the new leadership in Pakistan would be held soon.

He informed the participants of the meeting that his administration has initiated peace talks with the Taliban. The US president urged other countries, specifically Russia, Pakistan, and India, to get more involved in the war in Afghanistan.

Last year, on Jan 1 Trump strongly criticized Pakistan, announcing a cut in the aid provided to the country.

“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. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” Trump said in the tweet.

However, on Dec 3, Trump wrote a letter to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, seeking Pakistan’s help in bringing Taliban leadership to the negotiation table.

In the letter, Trump sought assistance from Pakistan in resolving the Afghan issue, aimed at ending the 17-year invasion of Afghanistan by US troops.

Lambasting Pakistan, he also alleged that America paid billions of dollars to Pakistan but was never told about Osama bin Laden hiding there.

“Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!

Taking a jibe at Trump’s absurd statement against Pakistan, PM Khan said, the Trump administration should carry out a serious assessment pertaining to why the Taliban are stronger in Afghanistan than before instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for US failures.

Later in an interview with the Washington Post, the premier turned down the impression of a Twitter war with the US President, relaying that he responded to Trump to set the record straight.

“The exchange was about being blamed for deeply flawed US policies — the military approach to Afghanistan,” he added.