US President Donald Trump’s administration has wasted little time in ramping up pressure on new Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government to end alleged official support for Islamic militants.
The US military announced on September 1 that it planned to suspend US$300 million in aid to Islamabad for its perceived failure to take decisive action against militants that target US forces stationed in neighboring Afghanistan, news agencies reported.
Those include the Haqqani Network and Afghan Taliban, both of which are said by US officials to operate freely from Pakistani soil.
The US has designated both armed groups as terror organizations. US officials claim both groups have sanctuaries in Pakistan from where they plot deadly attacks and regroup after ground offensives in Afghanistan. Pakistan has consistently denied it grants safe haven to the militant groups.
Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Kone Faulkner said the suspended US$300 million would be “reprogammed” and spent instead on other “urgent priorities” due to a perceived lack of “decisive” Pakistan government action, news reports said.
The move, which must be passed by the US Congress to take effect, is the latest salvo in a broader suspension of US military assistance to Pakistan first announced in January. On announcing the initial suspension, Trump accused Islambad of “nothing but lies & deceit” in a widely cited tweet.
If Congress approves the latest announced suspension, the US would withhold a total of US$800 million that had earlier been earmarked for Pakistan’s defense forces, the reports said.
The suspension comes days before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to meet with Khan in Islamabad. The top US military officer in Pakistan, General Joseph Dunford, will accompany Pompeo, according to reports.
The US has maintained the possibility that the aid could be restored if Pakistan changes its ways by moving against the militant groups. The US$300 million suspension notably coincides with growing economic troubles in Pakistan, marked by dwindling reserves and spiraling debts that some suggest could result in economic collapse without a massive and prompt infusion of funds.
Khan’s newly elected government is grappling with whether to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or alternatively deep-pocketed allied nations such as China. Analysts note that the US maintains the largest share of votes at the IMF and so would have a strong voice on the terms and conditions of any bailout.
Whether that and the suspended military aid will be enough to pressure Khan into a more assertive stance on militant groups is still unclear. Indeed, Khan had earlier suggested he would shoot down US drones if they were found to enter Pakistani airspace and has openly opposed America’s open-ended 17-year military presence in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has received more than US$33 billion in US assistance since 2002, including more than US$14 billion in so-called Coalition Support Funds, a Pentagon program that reimburses allies for counterinsurgency operations that support US military objectives, Reuters reported.
300 million? Nay, I will bleed the US for another 300 billion. Too bad if you can’t afford it.
USA/Soviet — Afghan war crippled this country with 2million afghan refugees still round. Terrorism is cities ,killed children and ruined economy. 50 thousand citizens lay dead can we possibly ‘do more ‘ . No !
Trump administration is immensely misguided by Indian lobby to put more pressure on Pakistan . Trump speaks the Indian lingo and agenda, merely accusing Pakistan for having any sanctuaries, the areas alongside Afgjanistan border has already gone under a massive military operations and people of that area have suffered a lot from these military operations, so much so that people have started suspecting whether it’s the Pakistani troops or the U.S. ‘s itself. Most of the Terrorists have been killed or fled away to Afghanistan already. They attack targets inside Pakistan every now and then under the support of RAW and Afghan intelligence agency. Imran khan must stop the free logistic support provided to U.S. since last 17 years and let America fight its own war. Pakistan is already ruined while fighting this U.S. war. We had seen no suicide bombing in Pakistan before this U.S. war. Pakistan was a peaceful country, and now we don’t feel secure even in big cities due to this war. U.S. has only brought destruction to Pakistan with it’s so called war on terror in Afgjanistan. With Trump’s allegations U.S. attitude towards Pakistan has become crystal clear that US is not a trustworthy partner neither well-wisher of Pakistan. So, it’s high time to stop one-sided alliance with U.S. and let her fight her own war. Logistic support must be withdrawn immediately.
The matter is simple, the US has been defeated and if they spend anotheir trillion dollars still they will face defeat, Pakistan can help US escape otherwise the humilation will be worse than Viet Nam for these stupid hill billie Americans.
We have done a lot more than our capacity to extend support to America starting from the Soviet era up untill this day and in return we have lost everything from precious humans lives to ruined economy and abusive allegations of a lunatic man. Enough is enough, No more exploitation of Pakistani nation. We would no longer act as the scape goat of any invaders. We are capable to defend our hard earned freedom. Sooner we quit this war quicker will rise our economy, we can’t allow anyone to beslave us with an aid of a mole at the cost of of a big price such as a vibrant and sustainable economy, which people of Pakistan have the ability to achieve through sheer hard work.
Americans: we have vested interests in this area and will not leave .
Looks, President Trump is ready for a deal in Afghanistan, (in negotiations-he is a class of his own), lets hope peace finally arrives in this region-it will !.
Afzaal M. Khan its not just 2 million Afghani…… Its far more…..plus millions of Bengali, Burmese rohingya and millions of illegal Indian people in Karachi coming into Pakistan over the years.
Afzaal M. Khan The same was said for eye-raaq and Syria……. Udher Irani turani nay hillbilly key bhund lugga dee hae, in case you were wondering.
America should see the old policy where they promoted the Cold War and created those now they realised trump will change the destiny of this world, just a humble request do not hurt anyone human soul who are innocents punish those are guilty
Ahson Aftab You Got it Ahson, some "Pandus" from our part of the world are impressed and influenced by hillbilly land, ignorance has no limits.
Dear Buyer/ Buyer mandate
We currently have Available FOB Rotterdam/Hosuton for JP54,D2, D6, JetA1 with good and workable procedure, whereby buyer will dip test in seller tank with proof of product.
Kindly Contact us via (anatolyvyacheslavoil@mail.ru) for SCO as soon as possible, so we can move to the next step.
Regards
Anatoly Vyacheslav
Email: anatolyvyacheslavoil@mail.ru
anatolyvyacheslavoil@yandex.ru
skype:anatolyvyacheslavoil
We currently have Available FOB Rotterdam/Hosuton for JP54,D2, D6, JetA1 with good and workable procedure, whereby buyer will dip test in seller tank with proof of product.
Kindly Contact us via (anatolyvyacheslavoil@mail.ru) for SCO as soon as possible, so we can move to the next step.
Anatoly Vyacheslav
Email: anatolyvyacheslavoil@mail.ru
anatolyvyacheslavoil@yandex.ru
skype:anatolyvyacheslavoil
Rohit Pandeya Perhaps you first need to worry about the chinks hammering hindu slum-Kuttays all over your northern frontiers, as for the "Uighur" they are a tough lot and will find their way out, right now there are 60,000 of them fighting your masters in Syria, Iraq where your masters are getting their behinds a hiding they will never forget…..LOL…It seems mental deficiency comes naturally to hindu slum dwellers like yourself.
Rohit Pandeya Rohit Pandeya Yea, perhaps I will accept a cooks position as soon as you slum dwellers build some toilets and stop crapping on the streets…..hindu slum-Kuttas are a joke of a nation, nobody takes them seriously, after all what can a nation of 1.5 billion slum dwellers achieve except shit on streets, rape women as a national sport, and beg other nations, even Pakistan has 5 billion invested in your slum economy…LOL , did you know that hindu slum-kuttays are the largest recipients of American aid dollars begged from your masters….. and on top of that the leader is a street tea seller….LOL and you want to compare to china….Naaaaaaaa…LOL