WASHINGTON- The Donald Trump administration is considering unprecedentedpolitical penalties on Pakistan, a leading American magazine has reported.The penalties mentioned in the report range from visa bans, sanctions and apermanent end to military aid. The report on the Trump White House’sthought process comes just a week after the US President replaced moderatevoices in his foreign policy apparatus with hawkish figures.
A report in Foreign Policy magazine said the Trump White House and Pentagonview Pakistan as harbouring terrorists who are waging war against theUS-backed government in Afghanistan. “The options under considerationinclude revoking Pakistan’s status as a major non-NATO ally, permanentlycutting off the US military aid that was suspended two months ago, and evenimposing visa bans or other sanctions on individuals in the Pakistanigovernment deemed responsible for providing support to the militants,” readthe report.
The increasing number of hardliners in Trump policy engine seem to begaining the upper hand, maintaining that years of aid and accommodationhave produced little in return. In the last 10 days, Trump fired moderatesSecretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser HR McMasterand replaced them with hawks – Mike Pompeo and John Bolton.
The visa bans that are now being discussed would be aimed at individualmembers of the Pakistani government who may be behind the support toterrorists like the Taliban and Haqqani Network to continue operating fromPakistani soil.
“Pakistan is at risk of miscalculating the level of frustration inWashington, said a senior State Department official. “In the past, Pakistanhas sought to take the minimum action required to placate U.S. concernswithout fundamentally altering their policy and strategy,” Foreign Policyquoted the official as having said.
The hardening of the line on Pakistan comes just a month after the US ledefforts to put Pakistan on a terrorism-financing watchlist, overcoming theopposition from Pakistan allies China and Saudi Arabia.
“The alliance with Pakistan no longer makes sense for the United Statesbecause it undercuts US policy in Afghanistan as well as its effort tobuild a strategic relationship with India against China,” former Pakistaniambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani told Foreign Policy magazine.