United States Ambassador the United Nations Nikki Haley has said that President Donald Trump was prepared to end all funding for Pakistan if it did not stop providing safe haven to terrorist groups.
She also confirmed Tuesday that the U.S. was withholding $255 million in aid to Pakistan for harboring the terrorists that attack U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
"The administration is withholding $255 million in assistance to Pakistan. There are clear reasons for this. Pakistan has played a double game for years. They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan. That game is not acceptable to this administration," The Hill quoted Haley as saying to reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
"We expect far more cooperation from Pakistan in the fight against terrorism. The president is willing to go to great lengths to stop all funding from Pakistan as they continue to harbor and support terrorism," she added.
Haley's remarks came a day after Trump castigated Pakistan for providing safe havens to terrorists.
Trump, in a strongly-worded tweet, had said America had been 'foolishly' providing military aid to Pakistan for 15 years, but in return, it has only received 'lies and deceit.'
"The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Trump posted on the micro-blogging site on Monday.
Outraged over Trump's tweet, Pakistan summoned the United States ambassador David Hale to lodge its protest against the tweet.
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