During his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan here on Monday, US President Donald Trump strongly criticised Islamabad for its behaviour which led to the cancellation of US aid amounting to USD 1.3 billion to the country.
"We were paying USD 1.3 billion to Pakistan as aid, for many years. The problem was...Pakistan was not doing anything for us. They were really subversive. They were going against us. I ended that about a year and a half ago, the USD 1.3 billion (aid)," Trump said during his meeting with Khan.
Seated right beside Trump, Khan listened to the US President quietly, at times nodding his head and fidgeting with a ring on his right hand's little finger. He dodged a question regarding the restoration of the said aid to Pakistan and continued, "To be honest, I think we have a better relationship with Pakistan right now than we did when we were paying that money. But all of that can come back, depending on what we work out."
The suspension of the aid added to the already strained relationship between Washington and Islamabad. The United States added that the aid would remain suspended until Islamabad takes steps against harbouring terrorists on its soil -- a call which was renewed by several US Congressmen following Monday's meeting.
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