Tensions do exist in Pakistan-US ties: US State Dept

WASHINGTON: US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert says that a state of tension exist in the ties between Pakistan and the United States.

During a department press briefing in Washington, Nauert maintained that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had some meaningful and important meetings with the new government of Pakistan.

“The US is looking forward to forging a relationship with that new government, recognizing that there are, of course, some tensions and some areas where we – or the government can work harder,” she said.

“And so those were the types of meetings that we had and we were pleased to have gone,” she concluded while replying to a query.

https://demo.arynews.tv/en/aid-suspension-to-pakistan-done-lightly-us-john-bolton/

Pompeo, during his meeting with Pakistani leadership, highlighted the importance of the Pakistan-US relationship, and underscored areas of shared interest, such as the expansion of two-way trade and commercial ties.

Yesterday (Sep 13), US National Security Adviser John Bolton said the military aid suspension to Pakistan was not taken lightly by the Trump administration.

In his address to a Washington think-tank on Monday— the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, Bolton said the war against terrorism was a matter of extraordinary importance to America.

Bolton was quoted as saying by the Financial Express that the US wanted Pakistan to cooperate fully in the war against terrorism. “It was before my time, but the Trump administration did not take the decision to cancel a substantial part of the military aid package to Pakistan lightly,” he said.

“It was done knowing full well that Pakistan is a nuclear weapons state, and the risk that the government could fall into the hands of terrorists…” In January, US President Donald Trump suspended most of military aid to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of allowing the Taliban to use its territory for attacks in Afghanistan.

Leave a Comment