WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has lashed out at Pakistanand 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 treatingAmerican diplomats “badly”.

Pompeo said this on Wednesday while presenting his testimony before the USHouse Foreign Affairs Committee. He said that all the staff members of USembassy in Islamabad were not being treated well by the Pakistanigovernment.

“My officers, our state department officers are being treated badly peopleworking in the embassies and councils and in other places are not beingtreated 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 clearwith Pakistan that ensuring reconciliation, peace, and security inAfghanistan in large part depends on Pakistan’s willingness to crack downon terrorist safe havens and instigators of terrorist activity in its owncountry.”

Pointing out that the US had released far fewer funds to Pakistan in 2018than in prior years, Pompeo said that the “remainder of the funds availableare under review and my guess is that the number will be smaller still”.