News Desk
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday challenged United States President Donald Trump’s claim that the U.S. has given Pakistan “more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years”, saying verification by an audit firm would prove the US president wrong.
The foreign minister offered that Trump could hire a US-based audit firm “on our expense” to verify the $33 billion aid figure and “let the world know who is lying & deceiving”.
The US president’s tweet had come in the aftermath of an increasingly back-and-forth war of words between Washington and Islamabad since Trump announced his administration’s latest national security strategy.
Two weeks back, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during a visit to Afghanistan issued a warning to Pakistan accusing the country of providing safe haven to terrorists. Pence also claimed that President Trump has now “put Pakistan on notice.”
Before Pence, early in December, US Defence Secretary James Mattis during his visit to Pakistan had asked to “redouble its efforts to confront militants and terrorists operating within the country.”
Mattis’ demand of redoubling efforts was preceded by a warning to Pakistan by CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Pompeo in a statement warned Pakistan that United States will act against alleged militant sanctuaries inside Pakistan if Pakistan fails to take action itself.
