Pakistan has summoned the US ambassador in protest over President Trump’s Tweet about Pakistan’s unwillingness to combat terrorists who use Pakistan has a safe haven, yesterday. David Hale was summoned by the Pakistan foreign office to explain Trump’s tweet. The Pakistani Prime Minister has called a cabinet meeting for today that will focus on the President’s words and on Wednesday the country’s top officials will met to discuss the state of deteriorating US-Pakistani ties.
The US has sent messages that it will stop aid to Pakistan if the country doesn’t start doing more to combat extremists who carry out attacks against US and Afghan officers in Afghanistan, then escape into Pakistan for refuge. Afghanistan, as well as arch-Pakistani rival, India, praised the President’s remarks.
China, however, came to Pakistan’s defense saying that Pakistan has “made a prominent contribution to global anti-terror efforts,” and that the “international community should fully recognize this.” Chinese and Pakistani relations have grown deeper in recent years with Chinese infrastructure investment in the country reaching into the tens of billions of dollars.