Pakistan prepared for any US action: DG ISPR
In the midst of growing tensions between Pakistan and US after Trump's Tweet, the military spokesperson, DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor assured the nation that Pakistan and the US are still allies. He gave this statement to a private news channel. 'We are allies and wars are not fought with allies', he said.
The military spokesperson reminded the US that it had sided with them on many occasions, and at one time, Pakistan could have allied with Russia but they opted for the US instead. Answering a question about the Haqqani network, he claimed that the military is taking strict action against them and that the results will be visible very soon.
In the anticipation of stern action against Pakistan by the US, the DG ISPR said, in case of US action against us, we will respond according to the hopes and aspiration of our people'. This statement could also be in light of the US announcement that further action will be announced in 24 to 48 hours.
While a tweet is practically harmless, any unilateral action by the American government can be a huge setback for diplomatic ties between the two nations. The whole region will undoubtedly suffer from them.
The US has repeatedly threatened Pakistan of unilateral action. The US claims that Pakistan is harboring terrorists on its soil and the jinx of President Donald Trump's tweet was also the same. Pakistan has never accepted these allegations and considers it an insult to the countless sacrifices that Pakistan has made for the war on terror. Last week, DG ISPR had also warned against any unilateral action on its soil.
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Pakistan is feeling insecure in the midst of growing US exhortations of 'do more'. Pakistan has told its ally that it would do 'no more'. The insecurity of Pakistan is very justified since the US has acted unilaterally in the past. Back in May 2011, two US helicopters entered Pakistani territory, attacked the bunker where Osama Bin Laden was hiding, assassinated him and captured his family.
They did all this without informing the Pakistani authorities. Pakistan is afraid that the US might repeat a similar operation on Pakistani soil. Let alone Pakistan, no sovereign country would accept such intrusion on its soil, regardless of the importance of the cause. The right course of action would be to inform the Pakistani authorities of any possible locations of terrorists and let them operate.
Even after repeated assurances from both the Pakistani and American sides, one cannot be certain of the future of the relationship between the two countries.
The US State Department, in a regular press briefing on Tuesday, told the media that Pakistan needs to do more to earn the funds that are given to them. Heather Nauert, spokesperson of the State Department, informed the media that President Trump is a man of action and he does what he says.
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She said that in response to the threats given by Trump to Pakistan. If the President says he'll cut the funding then he will, she told the media. To everyone's surprise, she reported that there has been no recent development in the American policy towards Pakistan and President Trump only said what he's been saying for the past few months.
The US has repeatedly threatened Pakistan of unilateral action. The US claims that Pakistan is harboring terrorists on its soil and the jinx of President Donald Trump's tweet was also the same.
The State Department accepted that there has been no change in the policy, and Trump's actions do not reflect any recent developments. It is a moment of contemplation for the whole American nation when their president's words are taken as opinion rather than a strategy. President Trump has indeed proven to be a man of his words; some of his policies could prove very dangerous for both nations. Even after repeated assurances from both the Pakistani and American sides, one cannot be certain of the future of the relationship between the two countries.
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While a tweet is practically harmless, any unilateral action by the American government can be a huge setback for diplomatic ties between the two nations. The whole region will undoubtedly suffer from them. With America already losing diplomatic footing with Trump's controversial statements and policies, losing an old ally in Pakistan located in an area of vital strategic importance, would be very detrimental for them.
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