‘TILL PAK ACTS ON TERROR, U.S. SHOULDN’T GIVE EVEN A DOLLAR’

NEW YORK : Pakistan continues to harbour terrorists that turn around and kill American soldiers, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has said, asserting that Washington should not give Islamabad even a dollar until it addresses the issue.

Haley, the first Indian-american ever appointed to a Cabinet position in any US presidential administration, said the US did not need to give money to countries that wish harm to America, go behind its back and try and “stop us from doing things”.

“...I think there should be a strategic view on which countries we partner with, which ones we count on to work with us on certain things, and move forward accordingly. I think we just blindly allow money to keep going without thinking that this is real leverage. We have to use it,” Haley told US magazine The Atlantic.

“The one example I’ll give you is, look at Pakistan. Giving them over a billion dollars, and they continue to harbour terrorists that turn around and kill our soldiers —that’s never okay,” she said.

“We shouldn’t even give them a dollar until they correct it. Use the billion dollars. That’s not a small amount of change.”

She said Pakistan should be told “you have to do these things before we will even start to help you with your military or start to help you on counterterrorism”.

Asked if she does not agree that foreign aid can turn an adversary into an ally, or can make a country more favourable than it would be otherwise, Haley said, “no, I think it absolutely can. I think that you do have to use it as leverage”.

“I don’t think you should blindly give it and then expect goodwill. You have to ask for goodwill and then give it when you see good things happen,” she said. In September, the Trump administration cancelled $300 million in military aid to Pakistan for not doing enough against terror groups.