LAHORE: Cheif of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has told Commander US Central Command (CENTCOM), General Joseph L Votel that the entire Pakistani nation felt betrayed by recent US accusations of Pakistan misusing US aid.
According to a statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday, the COAS received two phone calls from General Votel and one from a US senator over the week to discuss Pak-US security cooperation following President Donald Trump’s tweet.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018
After the tweet, the State Department announced that the US was suspending most military aid to Pakistan.
The COAS told the General Votel that Pakistan would continue its “sincere counter-terrorism efforts” even without the US financial aid in accordance with its national interest.
We won’t ask for restoration of financial assistance but honourable recognition of our contributions, the army chief said.
Comd USCENTCOM & a US Senator telephoned COAS to discuss security coop post POTUS tweet. “Entire Pakistani nation felt betrayed on trivialising our decade old cooperation. We won’t ask for restoration of financial assistance but honourable recognition of our contributions”, COAS. pic.twitter.com/oHEQGGvyIf
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) January 12, 2018
“The US values Pakistan’s role towards war on terror and expects that on-going turbulence between both countries remains a temporary phase,” Gen Votel said.
Bajwa further told the US commander that Pakistan was fully aware of US concerns on activities of Afghan nationals in Pakistan and “we are already undertaking multiple actions through Operation Raddul Fasaad to deny any residual capacity to terrorists of all hue and colour for which return of Afghan Refugees is an essential prerequisite”.
COAS said that Pakistan is fully aware of US concerns on activities of Afghan nationals in Pakistan and we are already undertaking multiple actions through Operation ‘Radd ul Fasaad’ to deny any residual capacity to terrorists of all hue and colour for which return of Afghan refugees is an essential prerequisite,” the statement added.
General Bajwa reassures General Votel that Pakistan would continue to support all peace initiatives in Afghanistan despite the “tendency to scapegoat Pakistan”.
“General Joseph L. Votel acknowledged the effectiveness of some of the recent actions taken by Pakistan to ensure that Pakistan’s hospitality to Afghan Refugees is not misused in anyway,” read the statement.