Islamabad (January 03, 2018): Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will chair a meeting of the federal cabinet on Wednesday (today) to discuss strategy in wake of Donald Trump’s tweet, in which the US president accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists.
The federal cabinet meeting, which was supposed to be held on Tuesday,was postponed till Today evening. Earlier, PM had summoned sessions of the federal cabinet and National Security Committee (NSC) Monday night following the statement by US President Donald Trump.
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Today’s cabinet meeting will discuss Trump’s remarks and mull over a strategy to tackle the challenges arising as a result. The national as well as regional security situation, economic and social affairs would also be brought under discussion in the meeting.
The cabinet will also ponder over national security and other affairs of the state. On Monday, Trump tweeted that the United States had foolishly given Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years.
The National Security Committee (NSC) met on Tuesday over US President Donald Trump’s anti-Pakistan statement. Expressing disappointment over the remarks, the committee decided not to take measures in haste in reply to US accusations.
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The high-level huddle of the country’s civilian and military leadership, chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, reiterated that the country remains undeterred in its resolve to establish peace in Pakistan and has fought the war on terror with unflinching resolve.
The statement further added that during visits by US officials, it was decided to move forward with mutual trust and cooperation, which would also lead to stability in Afghanistan.
Trump’s comments “struck with great insensitivity” and “negated the decades of sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation”, said the statement.
Elaborating further, the NSC stated that Pakistan cannot be blamed for failures in Afghanistan and accusing allies will not lead to establishment of peace in the neighbouring country.
Pakistan also voiced its support for the Afghan government’s efforts for peace, with the NSC agreeing that peace in Afghanistan is not only linked to peace and stability in the region but also important for peace in the world.
Sources said it was also decided during the NSC meeting to summon a parliamentary meeting to discuss the anti-Pakistan statement by Trump and take the parliamentary leaders into confidence over Pakistan’s response.
The US president accused Pakistan of giving nothing but lies and deceit, thinking US leaders to be fools. “They give safe havens to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!”
“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools,” Trump said in the New Year’s day tweet. “They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!”
Trump’s tweet followed strong reaction from Islamabad, with Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif saying that the US President’s ‘no more’ holds no importance.
“We have already told the US that we will not do more, so Trump’s ‘no more’ does not hold any importance,” Asif said.
The minister reassured that his government would safeguard the interests of Pakistan and whatever decisions it made, would be in line with the country’s interests.
“We are not meant for safeguarding interests of any other state; our priority is Pakistan’s betterment,” he said. “If our interests differ with them, we will not become their allies,” he said.
“This sort of dictation is not acceptable at all,” Asif said, in response to Monday’s tweet by President Trump.
Pakistan also summoned US Ambassador David Hale to its Foreign Office and recorded protest over Trump statement.
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