US and Pakistan no longer friends, says Pakistan's foreign minister
In a very aggressive TV interview Pakistan's foreign minister accused US of betrayal. However, Pakistan army maintained that USA is still an ally
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has declared US and Pakistan are no longer friends and the bilateral ties need a serious revisit. He, in fact, was so acerbic during an interview that he went on the say that US was a friend who always betrayed and added that in case of any US aggression, "Pakistan would respond in a manner that would reflect the nation's will."
"The US behaviour is neither that of an ally nor of a friend. It is a friend who always betrays," Asif said in a television interview. He said Pakistan could survive without the US assistance as it had done during the Pressler Amendment, "They did it in the past as well, which is evident from our history. They have always betrayed us in hard times." He also advocated a tough resolution by the Pakistani parliament on the issue reflecting the national sentiment.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister doubted US motives in Afghanistan, blaming a nexus between US and India as, according to him, instability in the region suits both, "They, the US and allies, have best and highly equipped forces. How come they could not perform in Afghanistan? Why there is 9000 tons of opium being produced in Afghanistan and why is Daesh present there in as much as nine provinces."
Asif asserted that his views on the matter should be seen as Pakistan's official response as "he had no individual worth and he was just a public representative."
Asif's blunt remarks contradict the stand taken by the Pakistan Army on US President Donald Trump's latest accusation that Pakistan has given the US nothing but lies and deceit thinking of US leaders as fools and now is the time to stop the financial aid to Pakistan. He blamed Pakistan for giving safe haven to the terrorists the US hunts in Afghanistan in spite of receiving $33 Billion of US aid in last 15 years.
After Trump's latest accusation, the US withheld scheduled $255 million military financial assistance to Pakistan. The White House released a statement asking Pakistan to do more in the war on terror and today came up with a list of 27 Haqqani Network terrorists and wants action against them by 15 January.
In Pakistan Army's first official response yesterday, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, Director-General (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, though had said that no amount of coercion could dictate Pakistan but had also added that* "as far as Pakistan was concerned, it considered them (the US) as allies" declaring that "the Pakistan-US relationship has had its ups and downs but still, they were friends."
When asked about reports emerging that the US is not willing to consider Pakistan a friend and ally anymore, he said Pakistan could have chosen the erstwhile USSR as its ally but instead preferred the US and still considers the country as its ally.
He, in fact, termed the US-Pakistan tension an issue of misunderstanding. He said Pakistan had taken action against the Haqqani Network but the US should give some time for its effects to become visible, "effects of these operations cannot be visible immediately. Only time will show how effective these operations were in establishing peace within the region."
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has declared US and Pakistan are no longer friends and the bilateral ties need a serious revisit. He, in fact, was so acerbic during an interview that he went on the say that US was a friend who always betrayed and added that in case of any US aggression, "Pakistan would respond in a manner that would reflect the nation's will."
"The US behaviour is neither that of an ally nor of a friend. It is a friend who always betrays," Asif said in a television interview. He said Pakistan could survive without the US assistance as it had done during the Pressler Amendment, "They did it in the past as well, which is evident from our history. They have always betrayed us in hard times." He also advocated a tough resolution by the Pakistani parliament on the issue reflecting the national sentiment.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister doubted US motives in Afghanistan, blaming a nexus between US and India as, according to him, instability in the region suits both, "They, the US and allies, have best and highly equipped forces. How come they could not perform in Afghanistan? Why there is 9000 tons of opium being produced in Afghanistan and why is Daesh present there in as much as nine provinces."
Asif asserted that his views on the matter should be seen as Pakistan's official response as "he had no individual worth and he was just a public representative."
Asif's blunt remarks contradict the stand taken by the Pakistan Army on US President Donald Trump's latest accusation that Pakistan has given the US nothing but lies and deceit thinking of US leaders as fools and now is the time to stop the financial aid to Pakistan. He blamed Pakistan for giving safe haven to the terrorists the US hunts in Afghanistan in spite of receiving $33 Billion of US aid in last 15 years.
After Trump's latest accusation, the US withheld scheduled $255 million military financial assistance to Pakistan. The White House released a statement asking Pakistan to do more in the war on terror and today came up with a list of 27 Haqqani Network terrorists and wants action against them by 15 January.
In Pakistan Army's first official response yesterday, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, Director-General (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, though had said that no amount of coercion could dictate Pakistan but had also added that* "as far as Pakistan was concerned, it considered them (the US) as allies" declaring that "the Pakistan-US relationship has had its ups and downs but still, they were friends."
When asked about reports emerging that the US is not willing to consider Pakistan a friend and ally anymore, he said Pakistan could have chosen the erstwhile USSR as its ally but instead preferred the US and still considers the country as its ally.
He, in fact, termed the US-Pakistan tension an issue of misunderstanding. He said Pakistan had taken action against the Haqqani Network but the US should give some time for its effects to become visible, "effects of these operations cannot be visible immediately. Only time will show how effective these operations were in establishing peace within the region."
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