Ahead of the scheduled visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has made it clear that the United States has suspended the funds to Pakistan that it owed to Islamabad under the Coalition Support Fund. According to him, "America was not giving any aid to Pakistan rather it was reimbursing the money that we have already spent." It is quite disturbing to note that the Trump administration has the $300 million "aid" by the United States due to lack of the country's "decisive actions" in support of America's South Asia strategy on the eve of Pompeo's visit to Pakistan.
It is therefore imperative for our leadership to tell the foreign dignitary that alienating Pakistan, a non-Nato, ally would not serve Washington's interests in South Asia and even beyond as Islamabad has played the most important role in the global war on terrorism. Our leadership also required to try to improve the relationship on the basis of mutual respect and cooperation.