ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday criticised the US foreign policy and several aspects of the joint statement made by US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter’s visit to Washington earlier this week.
In the first of several tweets, Khan noted that the joint statement at the White House by the leaders of the world’s two largest economies had left US foreign policy devoid of morality. “Trump-Modi statement has removed fig leaf of morality and justice in US foreign policy, now mostly based on arms sales and financial gains,” the PTI chief wrote on Twitter.
He was referring to the sale of high-tech US military hardware to India, which was approved by the Trump administration during Modi’s two-day visit to Washington. The transaction included the purchase of $2 billion of naval surveillance drones by India and a $366 million C-17 transport plane. With the sale of the military equipment, the US and Indian governments hope for greater military co-operation.
In subsequent tweets, the PTI chief also criticised the Trump administration’s Afghan policy and recognition of India’s role in Afghanistan. “Trump has no business giving India an interventionist role in Afghanistan when, unlike India, it is Pakistan that shares border with Afghanistan,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Trump’s Afghan policy will only aggravate the already deteriorating situation there and prevent resolution of the conflict,” Khan said. During bilateral talks with the Indian prime minister, Trump said he wanted to “thank the Indian people” for their contributions to development in Afghanistan.
Modi had, in turn, said India would maintain close consultation and communication with the US to achieve the joint goal of peace and stability. The US had also offered to help New Delhi in cementing its ties with Kabul. Concerns were raised in the US and Islamabad that such measures by the Trump administration could jeopardise Pak-US relations and nurture tensions between Pakistan and India.
Washington is considering deploying up to 5,000 extra troops to help local forces fighting insurgent groups in Afghanistan. The deployment will be the largest of American manpower under Donald Trump’s fresh presidency.
Imran further proclaimed that the US move to designate Syed Salahuddin, a senior figure in the Hizbul Mujahideen group, as a global terrorist was a sign that Trump had aligned with India.
By trying to lump indigenous Kashmiri freedom struggle as terrorism Trump is siding with oppressor India, which it has also done oppressor in Palestine,” Imran wrote on Twitter.
