Trump didn't blame Pakistan for failure in Afghanistan: US ambassador
Pakistan's role toward resolution of Afghan issue has not been ruled out, Ambassador Hale says
August 31, 2017
ISLAMABAD: ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador David Hale, in a meeting with National Security Adviser Nasser Janjua, said the US President Donald Trump did not blame Pakistan for failure in Afghanistan.
The US envoy acknowledged Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war on terror and hoped that the country would continue to play a cooperative role.
"The additional US troops in Afghanistan will also act against Pakistan's enemies," said Hale and added that the US is aware of Pakistan's concerns over India's role in Afghanistan.
He further said that Washington is ready to help reduce Pakistan-India tensions.
Hale said that Pakistan's role toward resolution of the Afghan issue has not been ruled out.
Earlier this month, Trump cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops to Afghanistan, backtracking from his promise to rapidly end America's longest war while pillorying ally Pakistan for offering safe haven to "agents of chaos."
"We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting," he said, warning that vital aid could be cut. “That will have to change and that will change immediately."
In response, Janjua said Pakistan is carefully analysing new US policy and it is pondering over all options. "The statement by the US president hurt sentiments of the Pakistani people and government."
He said that Pakistan was wrongly accused and threatened, which gave a negative perception, adding, "Pakistan's nuclear weapons were wrongly linked to terrorists and the new US policy created an atmosphere of uncertainty and regional imbalance".
The Pakistani NSA stressed that everyone should work together for ending dispute in Afghanistan.
