Pakistan cannot be America's friend while supporting terror: Donald Trump

Citing his recent decision to suspend security assistance to Pakistan, US President Donald Trump has said that countries cannot hope to be friends with America while supporting or condoning terror.
"President Trump is making clear to our allies that they cannot be America's friend while supporting or condoning terror," the White House has said in a detailed fact sheet on his foreign policy, which was issued after his first State of the Union Address.

"The President has suspended security assistance to Pakistan, sending a long overdue message to aid recipients that we expect them to fully join us in combating terrorism," the White House said.
Last month, the Trump administration had suspended nearly $2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan accusing the country of not doing enough in the fight against terrorism.

US to rope in China in bid to make Pakistan shut down terror safe havens

China shares some of the concerns of the US about the terrorism problem in Pakistan and Washington is seeking to work with Beijing and other regional players to convince Islamabad about the need to crackdown on terror safe havens, a senior White House official has said. 

As the Trump Administration is determined to eliminate terrorist safe havens in Pakistan, which is key to bring stability in Afghanistan and in the region, the official hoped that China will play a helpful role in convincing Pakistan that it is in its own national interest to crack down on these sanctuaries.

Pakistan already has deep historical ties going back to many years and they have close military ties, the official said, adding that the economic relationship is also growing with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

"But, China shares some of the concerns of the US about the terrorism problem. The US is seeking to work with other regional players and China would be one of the main ones to deal with this issue. It won't serve China's interests to have terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan," the senior administration official said on condition of anonymity.

The official was quick to point out that China has been playing a more helpful role in terms of encouraging better relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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Trump set to end all aid to Pakistan for playing double game with US: Haley

US President Donald Trump is prepared to stop all funding to Pakistan until it stops harbouring terrorists, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has said.

Haley's comment came a day after Trump accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Speaking to reporters at a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York, Haley alleged Pakistan of playing "double-game" with the US for years.

"The president is willing to go to great lengths to stop all funding from Pakistan as they continue to harbour and support terrorism," said Haley.

"Pakistan has played a double game for years. They work with us at times, and they also harbour the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan. That game is not acceptable to this administration," she said.

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

"The decision to block aid is connected to Pakistan's harbouring of terrorists," the top American diplomat said.

Pakistan has expressed "deep disappointment" over the allegations, saying the accusations strike with "great insensitivity" at the "trust" between the two countries.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif in a tweet challenged Trump's claim that the US has given Pakistan more than $33 billion dollars as aid over the last 15 years, saying verification by an audit firm would prove the US president wrong.
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