U.S. President Donald Trump has put Pakistan on notice for providing safe haven to the Taliban and other militant groups, Vice-President Mike Pence has said, warning that the country has much to lose if it does not stop harbouring terrorists on its soil.
Mr. Pence’s remarks came during an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to assess ground realities in the war-torn country. During his visit on Thursday, Mr. Pence held meetings with top Afghan leaders to hear from them the progress on the implementation of Mr. Trump’s new South Asia policy. Mr. Trump, while announcing his strategy in August, had promised more troops to Afghanistan and criticised Pakistan for not doing enough to combat terrorism.
“For too long, Pakistan has provided safe haven to the Taliban and many terrorist organisations, but those days are over. President Trump has put Pakistan on notice,” Mr. Pence told American troops at the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.
“As the President said, so I say now: Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with the U.S., and Pakistan has much to lose by continuing to harbour criminals and terrorists.”
Pakistan reacts
Pakistan on Friday reacted sharply to Mr. Pence’s remarks. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Mr. Pence’s statement was at “variance” with the “extensive conversations” Pakistan had with the U.S.
“Allies do not put each other on notice,” the spokesperson said.
