ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Sunday that he would take up the issue of US military’s cancellation of $300 million in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) to Pakistan during Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s upcoming visit to the country.
The top US diplomat and US military chief of staff General Joseph Dunford are expected to visit Pakistan on September 5 to hold talks with the newly elected government of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“The visit of Mike Pompeo and other high officials is an opening and we will try to discuss issues of bilateral interest and shared objectives,” Qureshi said while addressing a news conference here.
The foreign minister also clarified that money suspended by the US military was part of reimbursements that Pakistan had already spent on different military operations.
The United States had also suspended these funds during the tenure of the previous government and “there was nothing new in it,” he said. Qureshi also added that Pakistan had rendered invaluable sacrifices to secure peace in the region.
The foreign minister said that negotiations with the US during the previous government were suspended and he would try to improve the relationship on the basis of mutual respect and cooperation.
The Pentagon on Saturday said it was canceling $300 million in aid due to Islamabad’s “lack of decisive actions” in support of America’s South Asia strategy.
Tahir Malik, professor of international relations, said the timing of the US announcement is significant and clearly aimed at pressuring Pakistan ahead of Pompeo’s visit.
“It’s a bad move. Washington and Islamabad need to cooperate for peace in Afghanistan,” Malik told Arab News.
US indifference toward Pakistan is pushing it toward Russia and China for defense and security cooperation, which is not in Washington’s interest, he said.
“Pakistan has effectively eliminated terrorism from its soil and can help the US for peace in Afghanistan, but for that there’s a need to bridge the trust deficit between both countries,” he added.
Relations have deteriorated under the administration of President Donald Trump, who in January accused Pakistan of sheltering terrorists whom US forces are fighting in neighboring Afghanistan.
“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools,” he tweeted at the time.
“They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!”
Pakistan denies the charge.
Dr. Vaqar Ahmed, an economist and joint executive director at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, said the aid stoppage will further deteriorate economic and military relations between the two countries.
“Pakistan badly needs dollars at the moment to avert a looming economic crisis, and stoppage of the aid isn’t a good omen at this critical time,” he told Arab News.
The US was a traditional source for Pakistan’s military for assistance and sophisticated military equipment, “which is shrinking now,” he said.
“Pakistan has been looking to Russia for defense and security assistance, but nothing concrete has come up yet,” he added.
