ISLAMABAD – United States (US) President Donald Trump sent out his firsttweet of the year, in the form of a rant against Pakistan. While a numberof people have responded to the unwarranted statement of POTUS, it’sBilawal Bhutto this time. It sure is a befitting response.
On Monday, Trump wrote: “The United States has foolishly given Pakistanmore than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they havegiven us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools,” hewrote. “They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, withlittle help. No more!”
The US has repeatedly urged Pakistan to “do more” to tackle the menace ofterrorism. Trump’s latest tweet comes four days after Pakistan armyspokesperson Major Gen Asif Ghafoor categorically said that we have doneenough and cannot do more for anyone except Pakistan.
On Tuesday, Bilawal hit out at Trump in a series of tweets, making it clearthat “We will eradicate extremism because it’s in our interest not becauseof what @realDonaldTrump says.” Let’s take a look at his response:
Someone please explain to @realDonaldTrumplink> differencebetween coalition support fund reimbursement for work done & USaidostensibly given for humanitarian reasons, to win hearts & minds.Cuttingoff moneys owed for assistance already rendered does not encourage furthercooperation
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) January 2, 2018link>
#Pakistanlink> needsto articulate & implement a counter violent extremism strategy not becauseof what the US wants but because we need to succeed. to survive. We alsohave to come to terms with the fact, US is no longer interested indefeating terrorism.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) January 2, 2018link>
The US just wants to ‘win’ in Afghanistan/Iraq/Syria & the many quagmiresthey are involved with. No plan to get out. All they are left with isexcuses, blame games and denial.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) January 2, 2018link>
Only the #PPP link>hasexperience in handling both the US & our own domestic terrorism issue. Inour last government we launched Pakistan’s first, most extensive and mostsuccessful anti-terror operations. We also shut NATO supplies & air basesuntil the US apologied for Salala.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) January 2, 2018link>
We will eradicate extremism because it’s in our interest not because ofwhat @realDonaldTrumplink> says. We will notallow the #US link> toscapegoat #Pakistanlink> for itsown failures in the region.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) January 2, 2018link>