ISLAMABAD \u2014 Pakistan\u2019s top political and military leaders on Thursday offered a stark response to Donald Trump\u2019s accusations earlier this week, telling the American president that scapegoating Pakistan will not bring about peace in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The message also reiterated Islamabad\u2019s rejection of Trump\u2019s allegation that Pakistan harbors militants who battle U.S. forces across the border in Afghanistan. In turn, the Pakistani officials demanded that the U.S. military eliminate militants who use Afghan soil to stage attacks in Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Islamabad\u2019s response followed an hours-long meeting between Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and army chiefs, all members of the National Security Committee \u2014 Pakistan\u2019s top forum on issues relating to the country\u2019s defense and security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump\u2019s remarks on Monday, in which he lashed out at Pakistan, an ostensible U.S. ally, blaming it for violence in Afghanistan, and demanding that Islamabad stop giving sanctuary to \u201cagents of chaos, violence and terror,\u201d have shocked Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They have also drawn nationwide condemnation. Pakistan\u2019s opposition has asked Abbasi to cancel a scheduled visit by Pakistan\u2019s foreign minister to Washington. Pakistan\u2019s top opposition leader, cricket-star-turned-politician Imran Khan, also demanded Abbasi convene a special session of Parliament to discuss Trump\u2019s threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thursday\u2019s meeting of the National Security Committee also noted Trump\u2019s comment in which he said Washington paid billions of dollars to Pakistan \u2014 only to have it shelter terrorists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cScapegoating Pakistan will not help in stabilizing Afghanistan,\u201d the committee said, according to a statement issued by the premier\u2019s office. It also called for recognition by the Trump administration of Pakistan\u2019s many sacrifices \u2014 thousands of civilians and security forces have lost their lives in the country\u2019s fight against insurgency and militancy on its own soil. The struggle has also cost this Islamic nation $120 billion in economic losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, U.S. officials and analysts have long accused Pakistan of playing a double-game with Islamic extremists \u2014 supporting those that threaten its rivals in India and Afghanistan while cracking down on those who target its own citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The committee reiterated Pakistan\u2019s commitment that it will not allow its soil to be used for violence against any other country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe expect the same from our neighbors,\u201d it said \u2014 a reference to Afghanistan and India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump\u2019s claims of giving billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan were \u201cmisleading to the extent that the reimbursements to Pakistan since 2001 only account for part of the cost of ground facilities and air corridors used by the United States for its operations in Afghanistan, rather than any financial aid or assistance,\u201d the statement stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The meeting pledged to continue helping international community to ensure peace in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pakistan has been at war with the Pakistani Taliban and homegrown extremists for years, but it has also long tolerated the Afghan Taliban and the allied Haqqani network, which have been behind many attacks in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Islamabad has also been under international pressure to try and bring the Taliban leaders, based in Pakistan\u2019s restive southwestern region since their rule in Afghanistan was overthrown in the 2001 U.S. invasion, into some form of negotiations with Kabul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pakistan\u2019s top political and military leaders on Thursday offered a stark response to Donald Trump\u2019s accusations earlier this week, telling the American president that scapegoating Pakistan will not bring about peace in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":36597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["flashpoints"],"primary_category":"flashpoints"},"4":{"categories":["flashpoints","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"flashpoints"},"6":{"categories":["flashpoints","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"flashpoints"},"7":{"categories":["flashpoints","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"flashpoints"}}},"categories":[100,8,25],"tags":[],"coauthors":[4967],"class_list":["post-16087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"SDLWJOIQQ5D5LH5RKH7T2MNJVE","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/24\/islamabad-leaders-to-trump-dont-scapegoat-pakistan\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n