Pakistan leaders to meet over Trump tweet

The Pakistan civil and military leadership will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of "lies and deceit".

Foreign Minister, Interior Minister, Minister for Defence, services chiefs besides, senior civil and military officers will attend the meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the chair, the media wing of the PM's Office said, reports IANS.

IANS adds: Donald Trump on Monday, in a tweet, accused Pakistan of giving safe heaven to the militants that US hunts in Afghanistan, 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 and deceit.

"They give safe havens to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"

After the tweet, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said: "We will respond to President Trump's tweet shortly... Will let the world know the truth... Difference between facts and fiction."

This comes after the US administration was considering whether to withhold $255 million in aid to Pakistan as it feels Islamabad was not doing enough to counter terrorism.

Trump's senior administration officials met last month to decide what to do about the money. American officials said a final decision could be made in the coming weeks.

The latest move comes after the US has been denied access to a member of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network who is in Pakistan's custody.

According to the New York Times, the Haqqani member was one of the abductors who held an American and Canadian, along with their three children, hostage for five years.

US officials told the daily that the Americans demanded access to the man who they feel might have valuable information about the whereabouts of at least one other American hostage.

But Pakistani officials rejected the requests.

Trump has in the past threatened to withhold the aid to Pakistan as Washington accuses Islamabad of failure in cooperating on counterterrorism efforts.

AIMD