WASHINGTON: The Pentagon said that Pakistan remains a critical partner to the United States’ South Asia strategy, a day after US President Donald Trump alleged that Pakistan does “not do a damn thing” for the US.
In an interview to a local news channel on Sunday, Trump had defended his administration’s decision to block hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan, alleging that the country was not doing enough to fight terrorism. He had also accused Islamabad of helping to hide Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
US Director of Defense Press Operations Colonel Robert Manning, speaking to reporters during an off-camera news conference, asserted that Pakistan “remains a critical partner to America’s South Asia strategy.”
“The US and Pakistan have strong mutual interests in the region. As you know, they are critical (and) vital to the South Asia strategy and including the facilitation of a peace process that would lead to a stable and peaceful Afghanistan,” Colonel Manning said.
Responding to a question about the recent series of tweets by President Trump, he said, “They [Pakistan] remain a critical partner in our South Asia strategy and there’s been no change to our military-to-military relationship with Pakistan.”
When told his answers differ with the views of the US president, Colonel Manning added, “I do not have any announcement on any change to the military to military relationship we have with Pakistan.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan, in response to Trump’s interview, hit back at the US president yesterday, saying the “record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump’s tirade against Pakistan”.-Agencies
