Pak(Eds: Updating with more inputs)By Lalit K JhaWashington, Jan 18 (PTI) The US believes that suspendingsecurity assistance to Pakistan is important to put pressureon it to act against terror safe havens, the White House hassaid as it defended President Donald Trump's remarks thatIslamabad had given America nothing but "lies and deceit".
Early this month, the US froze nearly USD 2 billion insecurity assistance to Pakistan for not taking any decisiveaction against terrorists operating from its soil.
President Trump also accused Pakistan of providing safehavens to terrorist groups like the Taliban and the HaqqaniNetwork and used his first tweet of the year to criticiseIslamabad over the issue.
"The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and theyhave given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of ourleaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists wehunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Trump hadsaid in the tweet.
When asked if the White House stands by the comments thepresident made in the tweet, White House Press Secretary SarahSanders responded by saying "yes".
"Our position is firm: that we believe that withdrawingthat aid is important," Sanders said.
Earlier in the day, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haleysaid the Security Council should step up pressure on Pakistanto "change its behaviour".
Briefing reporters after returning from a UN SecurityCouncil visit to Afghanistan, she said the Afghanistangovernment has asked the 15-member powerful wing of the worldbody to step up pressure on Pakistan.
"They did ask us for consensus to put further pressure onPakistan to come to the table and change their behaviour,"the Indian-American diplomat said.
She said the Afghan government "continue to make 10 stepsforward, and with Pakistan they feel like they continue totake steps backward."The Kabul visit of UN Security Council members came aheadof the Kabul Process meeting next month where the Afghangovernment is expected to present its strategy for reaching asettlement with the armed opposition.
Haley said the Afghan government is starting to see theTaliban concede, they are starting to see them move towardscoming to the table. PTI LKJ PMS NSA AKJNSA.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.