NEW YORK: The Trump administration should give “careful, comprehensiveconsideration” before moving to cutoff aid to Pakistan, an Americannewspaper published in Toledo, Ohio, emphasized Tuesday.

“There are many reasons for the United States to fight to keep thisalliance,” The Blade said in an editorial, entitled: Hang On To This Ally.“One is our historic ties to Pakistan. Another is that ournation does not have an overabundance of allies in the world, and this iseven more true in Pakistan’s part of the world,” the newspaper added.

The Blade also pointed out that Pakistan permits the shipment, acrossPakistan to Afghanistan, of almost all the materiel U.S. forces use inAfghanistan, and called it “a substantial form of assistance.”

“A close U.S. relationship with Pakistan is longstanding, including thefacilitating role Pakistan played when President Richard Nixon andSecretary of State Henry Kissinger opened the door to U.S.-Chinarelations,”The Blade said, while noting that Trump’s government was seekingto switch America’s close alliance in South Asia from Pakistan to itsrival, India.

“In the meantime, U.S. relations with Pakistan are rocky and gettingworse,” the newspaper said.While acknowledging that the United States can cut aid off entirely, TheBlade said, “But the U.S. should do so only after a careful, comprehensiveconsideration of all the elements of the relationship.”

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