New Delhi: Told off by US President Donald Trump for not doing enough on the crackdown against terror and denied funds, Pakistan has declared that it no longer has an alliance with the United States.
In an interview with Wall Street Journal, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said the country’s alliance with the US seems to be coming to an end.
“We do not have any alliance, this is not how allies behave," Asif told WSJ in an interview on January 5.
Ties between the two countries have worsened since Donald Trump, in a New Year's Day tweet, 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.
The Trump administration has suspended about $2 billion in security aid to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens.
Asif had earlier accused the US of acting like "a friend who always betrays". "The US behaviour is neither that of an ally nor of a friend. It is a friend who always betrays."
While Asif’s response to the US administration has been scathing, Pakistan’s foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua tempered the rhetoric and struck a conciliatory note on Sunday.
Janjua said Pakistan would continue engaging with Washington despite the suspension of aid. "As far as possible Pakistan wants to engage with the US because it is not only a global power but also has its presence in the region, and for us it's almost our neighbour," she was quoted as saying by the Dawn.
There are other countries that could ally with Pakistan, Mr. Asif said.
Following Mr. Trump’s tweet against Pakistan this week, China foreign ministry said it was “ready to promote and deepen” its cooperation with Pakistan.
“We are not alone,” Mr. Asif said.
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