Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has strongly denounced remarks by US President Donald Trump about Pakistan being a ‘safe haven’ for terrorists.
In a series of tweets, he said that the US blames Pakistan again for its deeply flawed and failed Afghan policy stretching over a decade.
“Just as India blames Pak for the indigenous Kashmiri uprisings when these are a result of its own failed policy of my repression in IOK .. So the US again blames Pak for its deeply flawed & failed Afghan policy stretching over a decade,” he tweeted.
So the US again blames Pak for its deeply flawed & failed Afghan policy stretching over a decade https://t.co/sGikXZb0ay
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 22, 2017
This shd teach Pak once and for all a valuable lesson: never to fight others wars for the lure of dollars. https://t.co/YUIih5kXEU
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 22, 2017
“We fought 2 wars in Afghanistan at the US behest paying heavy human and economic costs both times. We sacrificed 70000 Pak lives in US WOT,” he reiterated.
We fought 2 wars in Afghanistan at the US behest paying heavy human and economic costs both times. We sacrificed 70000 Pak lives in US WOT https://t.co/la4x0M9nTW
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 22, 2017
“Our economy suffered over $100 billion in losses. In addition, there were intangible costs on our society. Time for Pak to say: Never again.”
Our economy suffered over $100 billion in losses. In addition, there were intangible costs on our society. Time for Pak to say: Never again https://t.co/kngXujqRnO
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 22, 2017
We must also reject being made scapegoats for the policy failures of the US and India. https://t.co/iDSohH1fOS
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 22, 2017
In an address that is being touted by many as over the top, Trump took a tough but not a completely unexpected approach regarding Pakistan-US relations, in which he castigated Pakistan for offering safe havens to “agents of chaos”.
“We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organisations,” he said, warning that vital aid could be cut.
“We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting,” he said. “That will have to change and that will change immediately.”
Trump’s speech comes amid a month of serious turmoil for his administration, which has seen several top White House officials fired and revelations that members of Trump’s campaign are being investigated by a federal grand jury.
He sought in his address to convince Americans weary of his controversial off-the-cuff remarks. He also sought to pre-empt a backlash from his base who shared his previous disdain for military entanglements on foreign soil.
“I studied Afghanistan in great detail and from every conceivable angle,” he said, hoping to show he has sufficiently pondered the decision to send more young Americans into mortal danger.