WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump's new South Asia policy lacks details on how his administration is going to get Pakistan to reverse its course and do more in the fight against terrorism, a top American lawmaker has said.
Trump in August announced his South Asia policy and criticised Pakistan for providing safe havens for terrorists.
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said that terrorist groups in the region cannot be defeated without the support of Pakistan.
"I also don’t see how we can defeat these groups without the support of Pakistan. I know the President put an emphasis on Pakistan needing to demonstrate its commitment to civilisation, to order, to peace, but the strategy was lacking on details on how we are going to get Pakistan to reverse course," she said.
Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, Ros-Lehtinen said Pakistan "needs to quit hedging its bets" and get fully on board with the US and Afghanistan.
"But the strategy was short on details on exactly what tools we will use, and how, to convince Pakistan that its interests align with what we aim to achieve in Afghanistan and Pakistan is the correct move," she said during a Congressional hearing on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Referring to the recently concluded trip to Pakistan by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, she hoped that Pakistan would act this time.