MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Islamabad should drop its concerns about the new US South Asia strategy and support the joint counterterrorism efforts of Kabul and Washington, Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah's spokesman Mujib Rahman Rahimi said Friday.
"Pakistan is mostly worried about the new US strategy more than any other country in the region. Pakistan should use the chance and cooperate with the Afghan government and the United States. Otherwise, actions will be taken that would worry Pakistan," Rahimi said, as quoted by TOLOnews broadcaster.
On August 21, US President Donald Trump unveiled his new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia during a speech, in which he called on Pakistan to do more to crack down on terrorist safe havens, warning that otherwise the United States would cut its aid to the country. Pakistani authorities have rejected the accusations, stressing that the country had been cooperating with both the United States and Afghanistan to promote peace through political negotiations.
Earlier in the day, the United States announced that it would "place a pause" on spending $255 million designated to be allocated to Islamabad within the framework of Foreign Military Financing Program, insisting that Pakistan could "do more" in the struggle against terrorism.
