The political leaders belonging to all parties strongly reacted to US President Donald Trump's statement, saying it is unacceptable because no country other than Pakistan has rendered such huge sacrifices in the war against terrorism. In a bizarre tweet, Trump attacked Pakistan, saying: "The US has foolishly given Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools.
They give safe havens to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" PTI leader and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan should move forward taking into account its own interests regardless of the US aid.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman who had also served as Pakistan's ambassador to the US, said that the US is making Pakistan a target of its confusion and uncertainty. With reference to the amount paid to the country by the US, she said that Pakistan has not taken any toll charges from trucks carrying supplies for Nato in Afghanistan till date.
She also advised the current leadership to talk directly with the US and refrain from engaging in a war of words. The PPP senator also said that Coalition Support Fund has neither been counted as aid in Pakistan, nor will it be seen as part of assistance given by the US. "It was compensation on expenses incurred regarding the joint action on the border."
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umer said that the world's strongest military force has nothing to show of its 16-year long presence in Afghanistan but failure and is incapable even of a graceful exit. He praised the Pakistani armed forces for carrying out highly successful anti-terrorist operations and asked the US to stop trying to use Pakistan as an excuse for its failure.
Another PTI leader Shireen Mazari was also vocal in her criticism and referred to Trump and the US as shameless. She said Pakistan has sacrificed its soldiers and citizens in a "war which we should never have done." She told the US to keep its money and advised that the government should immediately stop giving US ground and air lines of communication. The PTI leader further added that Pakistan should count the number of US diplomats and citizens in Pakistan, including those working for NGOs, and send the excessive numbers back.
"Enough is enough! We have been humiliated enough," she declared. PTI leader Arif Alvi said the tweet by the US President degraded the people of Pakistan and he forgot that the people have suffered due to US policies in the region. He added that Pakistan has suffered more casualties, both civilian and military, in fighting terror being "ignited by Jerusalem like decisions." He also claimed the country has suffered more than $100 billion in losses.
Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Sirajul Haq said the US government is holding Pakistan responsible for its own failure which is not acceptable as "our armed forced have sacrificed their lives besides the police personnel and the civilians." Last week, the Pakistan Army while rejecting the Trump administration's pressure to do more in the fight against terrorism, insisted that Pakistan has done enough and cannot do more for anyone.
In what appears to be a policy decision, the unusually candid statement - coming from Major General Asif Ghafoor, the chief military spokesperson - suggested that Pakistan would not accept any further US demands - something that can potentially unravel ties between Islamabad and Washington. In recent weeks, senior Trump administration officials have repeatedly called on Pakistan to demonstrate that it is sincere in tackling the problem of terrorism.
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