Pakistan FM lashes out at Trump over aid

ISLAMABAD - 1 January 2018: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, in response to a tweet by US President Donald Trump, said that Pakistan has already refused to "do more" for the United States.

"We have already told the US that we will not do more, so Trump’s no more does not hold any importance," Asif said in an exclusive interview with Geo News.

"Pakistan is ready to publicly provide every detail of the US aid that it has received," Asif said in a strongly worded statement in response to Trump’s tweet that accuses Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorists that the US is hunting in Afghanistan.

Regarding the US president's claims of giving billions in aid to Pakistan, he said "The claim by Trump regarding the funds, if we account for it, they include reimbursements too for the services rendered by Pakistan."

"Trump is disappointed at the US defeat in Afghanistan and that is the only reason he is flinging accusations at Pakistan," the foreign minister said.

"Our land, roads, rail and, other different kinds of services were used for which we were reimbursed. A proper audit took place for the reimbursements," he said.

Asif also spoke against the US' military presence in Afghanistan, stating that peaceful negotiations are the only possible solution in the neighboring country.

"They [US] are reinforcing their failure in Afghanistan by extending their military presence but only a peaceful solution is possible," he said. "It (US) should, instead, try to negotiate with Taliban in Afghanistan."