Trump threatens to cut Pakistan aid over 'deceit' in terror fight

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US President Donald Trump lashed out at Pakistan on Monday in his first tweet of 2018, threatening to cut off aid over what he said were its "lies and deceit" in offering "safe haven to terrorists."

The tweet brought a quick and pointed rejoinder from Pakistan, which said it had done much for the United States, helping it to "decimate" Al-Qaeda, while getting only "invective & mistrust" in return.

Screenshot of Trump's tweet

US-Pakistani ties, long contentious, have taken a nosedive under Trump, who in August declared that "Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence and terror."

"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," Trump said in an early-morning tweet.

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

Last week, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration was weighing whether to withhold 255 million US dollars in already delayed aid to Islamabad over its failure to crack down more effectively on terror groups in Pakistan.

Source(s): AFP