Pakistan disappointed with Trump's Afghanistan move

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Pakistan has expressed disappointment with US President Donald Trump's strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia, the country's Foreign Ministry said.

In a long-awaited announcement on Tuesday, Trump alleged that "Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence and terror."

US President Donald Trump speaks during his address to the nation from Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, on August 21, 2017. /AFP Photo

To review the situation which has arisen from the new US policy, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqab Abbasi presided over a cabinet meeting and a statement was issued saying that "instead of relying on the false narrative of safe havens, the US needs to work with Pakistan to eradicate terrorism."

"No country in the world has suffered more than Pakistan from the scourge of terrorism, often perpetrated from outside our borders. It is therefore disappointing that the US policy statement ignores the enormous sacrifices rendered by the Pakistani nation in this effort," the Foreign Ministry statement said.

April 29, 2017 shows a US soldier holding the national flag ahead of a handover ceremony at Leatherneck Camp in Lashkar Gah in the Afghan province of Helmand. /AFP Photo

"Pakistan and the United States have been close allies in the fight against terrorism, which is a common threat for all nations of the world. As a matter of policy, Pakistan does not allow use of its territory against any country," the statement added.

On Afghanistan, the ministry said that Pakistan reiterates its view that there is no exclusive military solution to the crisis in Afghanistan.

Afghan refugees wait for their turn outside a Pakistani registration center in Peshawar on August 17, 2017. /AFP Photo

"The military action during the last 17 years has not brought peace to Afghanistan, and it is not likely to do so in the future. Only an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned politically negotiated solution can lead to sustainable peace in Afghanistan," it said.

Pakistan is committed to working with the international community towards the common objective of defeating the forces of terrorism and promote peace and stability in the South Asian region, the statement concluded.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency