The U.S. is calling on the government of Pakistan to arrest and expel Taliban leaders who are using the country as a safe haven, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said during a news conference.
“We call on Pakistan to immediately arrest or expel the Taliban’s leaders and prevent the group from using Pakistani territory to support its operations,” Sanders said.
The recent Taliban assault at a hotel in Kabul underscores the need for strong U.S. support of Afghan forces fighting terrorism, Sanders said.
On Saturday, a Taliban militia group attacked the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul.
Afghan security forces managed to rescue 126 people, including 41 foreign nationals.
According to the latest official information, 18 people have been confirmed dead in the 17-hour siege, but a source quoted by the TOLO broadcaster claimed that the death toll could be as high as 43.
NAN reports that on Jan. 2, Pakistan reacted angrily to President Trump’s first tweet of 2018, in which he accused the country of taking billions of dollars in U.S. aid while continuing to harbour militants.
Pakistani Leaders Fire Back At Trump Tweet Accusing Them Of ‘Lies & Deceit’
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“The U.S. has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years,” Trump tweeted, “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!”
Pakistan’s foreign secretary, Tehmina Janjua, summoned U.S. Ambassador David Hale to complain about the tweet.
Pakistan’s National Security Committee, formed of senior military officials and government ministers, also convened and expressed “deep disappointment” over the tweet, which it said “struck with great insensitivity at the trust between [the] two nations built over generations, and negated the decades of sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation.”
The president’s tweet reflected tensions that have been growing between Washington and Islamabad since Trump outlined his new strategy for the war in Afghanistan in August.
Back then, Trump accused Pakistan of offering “safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror.”
The U.S. has delivered billions in aid to Pakistan since 2002, but a deepening sense of distrust has marred the relationship. Pakistan says it has paid an enormous price as an ally in the war on terrorism
