Will not follow your policies, want an equal say in peace talks: Pakistan tells US
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said that they have told the United States that Pakistan will not follow their policies in matters related to peace and hopes for an equal say in the issue.
His comments come following US President Donald Trump's decision to cut off scores of Pakistani officers from coveted training and educational programs that have been a hallmark of bilateral military relations for more than a decade.
The move, which has not been previously reported, is one of the first known impacts from Trump’s decision this year to suspend US security assistance to Pakistan to compel it to crack down on Islamic militants.
In his first tweet of 2018, Trump slammed Pakistan, saying the country has rewarded past US aid with “nothing but lies & deceit.” Washington announced plans in January to suspend up to roughly US $2 billion in US security assistance to Pakistan.
Officially allies in fighting terrorism, Pakistan and the United States have a complicated relationship, bound by Washington’s dependence on Pakistan to supply its troops in Afghanistan but plagued by accusations Islamabad is playing a double game.
Meanwhile, PTI Chief Imran Khan has called for more “trustworthy” ties with the United States which have frayed amid the accusations.
“(My party) wants to build a relationship with the United States based on trust and mutual respect and hence our government will engage with US to make this relationship more balanced and trustworthy,” Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said in a statement late on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
Khan added that there was a need to “transform” the diplomatic ties between the two countries.
He also spoke about Pakistan’s ties with neighboring countries, saying peace in Afghanistan would ensure stability in Pakistan. Imran also proposed talks with India and said Pakistan will take two steps if India takes one.