After US President Donald Trump’s tweet slamming Pakistan for encouraging terrorism, the US has relented somewhat hoping that Pakistan will demonstrate its willingness to confront aggressively all terror groups which operate from its soil. There are however reports that Islamabad has suspended military and intelligence cooperation after Trump froze US military aid to it. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan said that the US was using Pakistan as a scapegoat for its failures in war-torn Afghanistan. He added that Pakistan did not put a price on its sacrifices but wanted them to be recognized. The US Embassy in Islamabad has stated that it has not been informed about the suspension of military cooperation by Pakistan. US Under Secretary of State Steve Goldstein has said that his country still looks forward to cooperation with Pakistan in combating all terrorists without distinction. There is every possibility of deepening bilateral security cooperation between the two countries provided Pakistan proved its readiness to fight the Taliban network, the Haqqani network and other military and terrorist groups. The US would like Pakistan to come to the table and assist the Trump administration.
Meanwhile talking to the BBC, its Islamabad correspondent was emphatic that Trump’s attack on Pakistan was prompted by India. The accusation is so preposterous that India has not taken it seriously. Pakistan has shown no interest in explaining why Hafiz Sayeed , the architect of the 26/11 Mumbai massacre, was released and allowed to contest the general election in that country.
