KARACHI: Pakistan has decided to review its relations with the UnitedStates and adopt a tough stance, in the wake of President Donald Trump’srecent statement, it is learnt.
Pakistan will highlight its sacrifices in the war against terrorism at thediplomatic front; and if the US reduces or suspends aid to Pakistan orplaces any sanctions, the country will completely revise its relationspolicy with the superpower, according to sources.
Pakistan, said the sources, would not accept any demands to do more, andcould stop all kinds of cooperation with the US. The only response to any‘do more’ demands will be ‘no more’. The future policy with the US would belimited to ‘cooperation for cooperation’ and relations based on equality.“This policy will be adopted gradually,” they added.
It is learnt that the foreign minister and other officials will contactfriendly countries, including China, to take them into confidence. Thehigh-ups are reviewing the recent statement by President Trump and thefuture relations with the US “which are turning from strained to tense”.
It is decided that Pakistan will make its decisions keeping in view itsnational security, and the US defence secretary had been told during hisvisit to Islamabad that Pakistan would not accept any dictation from the USagainst its national security.
He was also told that Pakistan was playing a role of frontline state in thewar against terror. “There any no safe havens for terrorists in Pakistan,nor is Pakistan supporting any terrorist group directly or indirectly; andif US has any proof, it should hand it over to Pakistan.”
The sources based in Islamabad said that the US had failed to provide anyproof and was blaming Pakistan just to cover up its failures inAfghanistan. “The Trump administration is pressuring Pakistan, but Pakistanwill not accept any pressure and face the situation.”
Pakistan, according to the sources, has also decided to reduce dependencyon the US in different fields and look for alternatives. It will also speedup the process of implementing its strategy for increasing diplomatic,trade and other relations with China, Russia and other countries.
The sources said that the Trump administration was under pressure after theresolution in the United Nations General Assembly.
Pakistan had supported the resolution calling on the US to withdraw itsrecognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Since then, the Trumpadministration has intensified pressure on Pakistan and is busy inlevelling allegations which are meeting failure at the diplomatic level aswell. Not a single important country is supporting the US stance. The USfears that if it moves any resolution against Pakistan in the UNGA, Chinaor Russia may veto it.
According to the sources, since the US understands the importance ofPakistan; the Trump administration will think several times before takingany action against Pakistan. “Any anti-Pakistan step may deprive thesuperpower of valuable cooperation.”
They said that the federal government had also decided to take parliamentinto confidence on the current situation of the Pak-US relations, and thefederal government would devise its future strategy on relations with theUS in consultation with the military leadership.