ISLAMABAD – Trump administration has made it clear ahead of the Secretaryof State Mike Pompeo visit that Pakistan will have to back the US strategyin Afghanistan if it wants good relations with Washington.

The strategy is to use a combination of military and diplomatic pressuresto force the Taliban to work with Kabul for restoring peace in Afghanistan.

Washington believes that a working relationship between the Taliban andKabul can lead to an honourable withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

Washington sent its first clear message to Islamabad last week when USSecretary of State Michael Pompeo telephoned Prime Minister Imran Khan andasked the latter to take “decisive action against all terrorists operatingin Pakistan”.ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

Initially, Islamabad disputed the US version of this conversation, butlater withdrew its objection.

The second message came earlier last week when US Defence Secretary JamesMattis said at a news briefing in Washington that Secretary Pompeo and theUS military chief were going to Islamabad to urge Pakistan to play its rolein fighting terrorists.

Then on Saturday, the Pentagon announced that it was seeking to reallocate$300 million in aid to Pakistan due to Islamabad’s lack of “decisiveactions” in support of America’s Afghan strategy.