Pakistan must introspect why US President Donald Trump has taken a stridently anti-Islamabad stand despite the many sacrifices it has made in the battle against terror, a Pakistani newspaper said on Tuesday.
A Daily Times editorial advised Islamabad not to respond to Trump's denunciation of Pakistan with outrage.
"Instead, we need to do some introspection to figure out why is it that the White House holds such opinions, in denial of our countless losses of civilians and military personnel in the fight against terrorism," it said.
In his first tweet of 2018 on Monday, Trump charged Pakistan with deceit and treachery and cut off all further aid to Islamabad for harbouring terrorists US troops were hunting in Afghanistan.
The daily recalled that Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif had admitted that mistakes were committed in the past vis-a-vis terrorists.
"It would have been wise had the US foreign policy and security establishment taken Asif's pleas more seriously."
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The editorial urged the US to reconsider its approach and refrain from muscle flexing and blame game.
"Once we reflect on the existing trust deficit between the two countries, we will realise that our poor diplomacy is to be blamed for this as well...
"The element of trust is disappearing in our bilateral relations with the US and this does not bode well for collective goals like eradication of terror."
It warned that given the growing American-Indian strategic alliance, "Pakistan cannot afford to land itself in a difficult situation... Diplomacy and political initiative are required to mend the ties."
--IANS
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