Photo: Screenshot/CBSN
Following President Trump’s tirade against Pakistan, the United States has announced it is withholding $ 255 million in aid for the South Asian country.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Washington revealed this as she repeated Trump’s accusations against Pakistan that it played a double game in relations with the United States.
“The administration is withholding $255 million in assistance to Pakistan.”
Speaking at a press conference, Haley saw “clear reasons” for the decision and said the U.S. step to halt aid is not connected to Pakistan’s UN General Assembly vote opposing the United States on the issue of making Jerusalem Israeli capital in December 2017.
“Pakistan has played a double game for years. They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan. That game is not acceptable to this administration.”
On Monday Trump claimed the U.S. had given Pakistan $ 33 billion to Pakistan and got no cooperation in return – a statement vehemently rejected by Islamabad.
“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” Trump tweeted.
Haley went a step further in warning Pakistan.
“We expect far more cooperation from Pakistan in the fight against terrorism,” she said.
“The president is willing to go to great lengths to stop all funding from Pakistan as they continue to harbor and support terrorism.”
The relations between the two countries have nosedived since Trump unveiled a new Afghan policy that accused Pakistan of allowing terror safe havens on its territory.
