Aid cut will not hit US anti-terror war

washington — Pakistan will continue to provide the United States with air and ground logistics for its troops in Afghanistan in spite of the aid cut, as Islamabad believes it helps the war against terrorism, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said in an interview to the Washington Post.

According to the excerpts of the interview conducted on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the prime minister told the WP that Pakistan had extended support to the US in the fight against terrorism and that it would not be affected by President Trump’s statement and the aid cut.

“No. That will continue. Because we believe that helps in the war against terror,” Abbasi said referring to the assistance that Pakistani provides to the US to supply logistics to its forces in Afghanistan. He was replying to a question if that assistance would be affected by President Trump’s statements. “It (assistance) helps brings stability to Pakistan, so we support that effort.”

Prime Minister Abbasi, to a question said, relations between Pakistan and the United kept changing with the presidents and the Congress. “This has been a relationship that has not been one of trust or stability,” he said.

But, while Pakistan provided unconditional support to the US after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the American quid pro is poor, Abbasi said, adding that even after the US aid cut, Pakistan continues to provide the US with air and ground logistics for Afghanistan without any contract or payment.

There has been over 1.1 million US overflights within Pakistani airspace used to fight terrorism in Afghanistan and millions of tonnes of equipment and cargo is transported to American troops using Pakistani land routes.

When asked how he would respond

We are committed to fighting the war against terror. . There has not been a single instance where if actual intelligence has been provided, it has not been acted upon Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

to President Trump’s tweet, in which he accused Pakistan for not being fully cooperative, the prime minister said the ground realities did not support his assertion.

“We are committed to fighting the war against terror. There are no two ways about it. We have assisted the US forces and will continue to assist them,” Abbasi said, adding that Pakistan has always acted upon actual US intelligence against terrorists. —