A US delegation is likely to arrive next month to discuss the Trump Administration's policy for South Asia with Pakistani authorities, diplomatic sources told Business Recorder . US Embassy spokesperson Fleur Cowan, when contacted, expressed her inability to confirm the upcoming visit of the US delegation to the country.
A new US policy for the region is awaited since President Donald Trump took the oath of office on January 20, 2017. The Trump Administration's policy towards Pakistan, according to analysts, is likely to remain unchanged with continued pressure to eliminate the alleged "safe havens" of Haqqani network along Pakistan-Afghan border. Pakistan continues to vehemently deny this charge.
According to a senior analyst Lieutenant General Talat Masood (retd), the Trump Administration has adopted a pro-India policy from day one and the policy towards Pakistan will be to maintain pressure on Pakistan. He pointed out that the US Administration believes that Haqqanis were still operating from Pakistan side of the border while Pakistan has repeatedly refuted the claim. The visit, if it materializes would be the first high level visit of a US delegation after the US Administration withheld the remaining military reimbursement to the country under Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for 2016.
Official sources told Business Recorder that Pakistani authorities will present the case with respect to withholding of outstanding amount under CSF during the talks, and discuss other issues of common interest including the ongoing fight against terrorists and their safe havens across the border. On July 21, 2017, the US State Department stated that the US will not reimburse the outstanding amount under the CSF for the year 2016 because Defence Secretary Jim Mattis cannot certify that Pakistan has taken appropriate action against the Haqqani network.
"Secretary Mattis has informed Congressional defence committees that he was not able to certify that Pakistan has taken sufficient actions against the Haqqani network to permit full reimbursement of fiscal year 2016 Coalition Support Funds (CSF)," US Defence Department spokesman Adam Stump said. "Therefore, the department has reprogrammed remaining CSF to other accounts." The decision will immediately affect a reimbursement of about $50 million, as Congress had already "reprogrammed $300 million," he added. The US released $550 million in early March 2017 and authorized an additional $350 million, but the amount was dependent on certification from the Defence Secretary, a US official said. The official further said that the US has used the CSF to reimburse Pakistan for actions taken in fight against terrorism in the amount of approximately $14 billion since 2002. The most recent reimbursement was for $550 million, earlier this year.