US Secretary of State lashes out at Pakistan, vow to further cut aid
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WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has lashed out at Pakistan and has vowed to further cut down the US aid to Pakistan.
He said that Washington will cut aid to Islamabad in the form of grants, financial assistance and compensation, accusing Pakistan of treating American diplomats “badly”.
Pompeo said this on Wednesday while presenting his testimony before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee. He said that all the staff members of US embassy in Islamabad were not being treated well by the Pakistani government.
“My officers, our state department officers are being treated badly people working in the embassies and councils and in other places are not being treated well by the Pakistani government either", he further added.
He remarked that this “real problem” that needs to be taken measure of.
Pompeo said: “As part of the new South Asia strategy, we have been clear with Pakistan that ensuring reconciliation, peace, and security in Afghanistan in large part depends on Pakistan’s willingness to crack down on terrorist safe havens and instigators of terrorist activity in its own country.”
Pointing out that the US had released far fewer funds to Pakistan in 2018 than in prior years, Pompeo said that the “remainder of the funds available are under review and my guess is that the number will be smaller still”.
