“Huge trust deficit” between Pakistan and the United States: Khawaja Asif

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has said in a conversation with the BBC after meeting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on October 24, that there is a “huge trust deficit” between Pakistan and the United States over the conflict in Afghanistan.

Tillerson is the first senior US official to visit Pakistan after President Trump accused the country of providing “safe havens” to the terrorists.

During his meeting with Pakistani officials, the US secretary of state repeated Trump’s call for Pakistan to do more to eradicate militant groups within its territory.

Foreign Minister Asif reiterated that there are no “safe havens” in Pakistan. “They do not need our territory anymore. Almost 40 per cent of Afghan territory is now under the direct control of the Taliban,” he told BBC. the BBC report said, the Taliban control about 10 per cent of Afghanistan and contest some 30 per cent of the country.

Both, the US and Afghan officials believe the militants are able to use sanctuaries across the border in Pakistan to plan attacks in Afghanistan, he added. Asif blamed the ‘ineptitude’ of US and international forces in Afghanistan for not ending the conflict.

He also dismissed the possibility of economic sanctions being levelled against Pakistan by the US if his country is not deemed to be ‘doing enough’ to tackle the Taliban. Pakistan only received “a trickle” of economic assistance from the US, said the foreign minister.

Senate’s move

The Senate on same day summoned Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif to brief the House about US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s recent statement in which he warned Pakistan to move against the Taliban and other groups inside the country or face consequences.

Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani remarked that the tone and tenor of Tillerson was not acceptable to Parliament of Pakistan. “He is acting like a viceroy,” Rabbani said of Tillerson, adding that Asif should go through August 30th recommendations of the Senate regarding how to move forward in relationship with the US.

Tillerson, while speaking at a press conference in Kabul on Monday after meetings with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, said that during his sojourn to Islamabad he would reinforce President Donald Trump administration’s demand to move against the Taliban and other extremists based inside its borders or face the consequences.