US sees changes in Pak’s behaviour after Trump's new S Asia strategy, says Mattis

There have been changes in Pakistan's behaviour with respect to fight against terrorism after President Donald Trump blasted Islamabad for providing safe havens to militants and suspended more than $ 1 billion security aid to the country, a top American official has said.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis also said that there are operations by the Pakistan military that are helping the US' ongoing efforts against terrorism." There have been changes in Pakistan's behaviour (since the South Asia strategy was announced)," Mattis told travelling with him to Afghanistan, according to the transcripts released by the US Department of Defense.In his new South Asia Policy in August last, President Trump had called for tougher measure against Pakistan if it fails to cooperate with the US in its fight against terrorism.In his first tweet of the new year, Trump had accused Pakistan of basing its relationship with the US on "nothing but lies and deceit".

Days after his tweet, the US suspended over $1.15 billion in security aid and the delivery of military equipment to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups." There are other issues; the fatwa (against suicide bombings) that came out, that came out of Pakistan, for example. That was a step in the right direction," Mattis said.