US won’t tolerate if Pak gives shelter to terrorists: Trump

We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting

US President Donald Trump on Monday warned Pakistan that Washington will no longer tolerate Pakistan offering “safe havens” to extremists, while stressing that he wanted develop strategic partnership with India to achieve country’s goals in Afghanistan.

“We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organisations,” Trump declared, outlining a new US security strategy in South Asia. “Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbour criminals and terrorists.”

India responded on Tuesday by welcoming the US President’s strong words against Pakistan, without naming the country. “We appreciate India’s important contributions to stability in Afghanistan, but India makes billions of dollars in trade from the UnS, and we want them to help us war with Afghanistan, especially in the area of economic assistance and development,” Trump had said.

“We welcome President Trump’s determination to enhance efforts to overcome the challenges facing Afghanistan and confronting issues of safe havens and other forms of crossborder support enjoyed by terrorists,” the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

On Pakistan, Trump suggested that military aid to Washington’s nuclear-armed ally is at stake if it does not clamp down on extremism. “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.

“That will have to change and that will change immediately,” he said.