WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the USofficials in Pakistan are “not being treated well by the Pakistanigovernment”.

While presenting his testimony before the US House Foreign AffairsCommittee, Pompeo said: “My officers, our state department officers arebeing treated badly as well, folks working in the embassies and councils[and] in other places are not being treated well by the Pakistanigovernment either.”

He remarked that this “real problem” that needs to be taken measure of.link>link>

With regards to the new South Asia strategy of the US, he said “we havebeen clear with Pakistan that ensuring reconciliation, peace, and securityin Afghanistan in large part depends on Pakistan’s willingness to crackdown on terrorist safe havens and instigators of terrorist activity in itsown country.”

Pompeo also shared that the US has released “far less funds in 2018” ascompared to the previous year to Pakistan.

Speaking on the issue of Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi, who had helped USauthorities track down al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, Pompeo remarked:“I worked diligently on the issue of Dr Afridi in my previousrole…unsuccessfully, please know that it is in my heart and it is importantand we can do that.”