Ready to respond to any US punitive action: Pakistan Army

Amidst reports that the Trump administration is set to announce more drastic steps to punish Islamabad for its support to terror groups, the Pakistan Army has said the country would respond to any US action in line with the aspirations of the people.

The statement by the military spokesman came in the backdrop of the White House's announcement that the US would announce specific measures against Pakistan in the next 24 to 48 hours after President Donald Trump's stinging New Year tweet.

The US yesterday announced that it is withholding its $255 million military aid to Pakistan.

"In case of [a] US action against Pakistan, it will be responded to [in line with] the aspirations of the people of Pakistan," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a brief statement.

In a terse Twitter post on January 1, President Trump had accused Pakistan of "lying and deceit" and providing safe havens to terrorists despite getting over $33 billion in aid over 15 years.

After Trump's statement, Pakistan had called a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Tuesday which expressed "disappointment" over the statement, but said the country would not act in haste.
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