Decision to suspend aid to Pakistan wasn't taken lightly: US
(PTI desk)
The US decision to suspend military aid to nuclear-armed Pakistan wasn't taken lightly, as the Trump administration was concerned that the South Asian country's atomic weapons could fall into the hands of the terrorists, said John Bolton, National Security Adviser of the United States. Bolton was addressing the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, a Washington think-tank.
Bolton says US wanted Pakistan's full cooperation to fight terrorism
In his address, Bolton also said that the US wanted Pakistan to cooperate fully in the war against terrorism as it's a matter of extraordinary importance to US. "The Trump administration did not take the decision to cancel a substantial part of the military aid package to Pakistan lightly. It was done knowing full well that Pakistan is a nuclear weapons state," he said.
Trump had also accused Pakistan of helping Taliban
"The risk that the government could fall into the hands of terrorists was particularly serious," he said. 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.
Pentagon had asked to use the funds for other purposes
Last week, the Pentagon, US Defense headquarters, asked Congress to allow it to use the funds allocated for Pakistan for other purposes. This ends any possibility that the funds could be released even if Islamabad complied. During his recent visit to Islamabad, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had also pressed Pakistan PM Imran Khan to rein in the groups reportedly operating from its soil.
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