New Delhi: Amid US President Donald Trump’s ongoing tirade against Pakistan, Khawaja Asif, Pakistan Foreign Minister, sounded the alarm that the country’s history has ample reasons for it to not trust the United States.
In a series of tweets, Asif wrote on Wednesday, “The history teaches us not to blindly trust the US.”
The statement comes even as US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Tuesday that Washington would withhold $255 million in assistance to Pakistan. Her statement followed an angry tweet from Trump on Monday that the United States had been rewarded with "nothing but lies and deceit" for giving Pakistan billions in aid.
A Geo TV report cited Asif’s tweet on Wednesday: “We are upset that you are not pleased [with us], but we will not compromise our honour.”
In a strongly worded message in his first tweet of the year, Trump said that the US has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, but in return Pakistan has given nothing but lies and deceit. “They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” he wrote.
Asif countered saying Pakistan has seen the “worst bloodbath” due to US’ attacks on Afghanistan that were carried out from their bases in Pakistan. “Your forces were supplied arms and explosives through our soil, thousands of our civilians and soldiers became victims of the war initiated by you,” The Dawn quoted Asif.
“President Trump quoted the figure of $33 billion given to Pakistan over 15 years, he can hire a US-based audit firm on our expense to verify this figure and let the world know who is lying and deceiving,” Asif said in another tweet.
Pakistan civilian and military chiefs rejected what they termed "incomprehensible" US comments and summoned US Ambassador David Hale to explain Trump's tweet.
Relations between Islamabad and Washington have been strained for years over Islamabad's alleged support for Haqqani network militants, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban.
In November, the US had strongly condemned the release of the Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed by Pakistan and had demanded his immediate re-arrest and prosecution, warning that there would be "repercussions" for bilateral ties if Islamabad fails to take "decisive action" against the JuD chief.
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