Pakistan summons US ambassador over Trump tweet

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan summons the US ambassador in a rare public rebuke after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut aid to Islamabad over its “lies” about militancy.

David Hale was asked to attend the foreign ministry on Monday night, after Islamabad responded angrily to the president’s allegations that it provided safe havens for jihadists — the latest dispute to rock the alliance.

A US embassy spokesman confirms Tuesday Hale met officials but had no comment on what was said.

There was no immediate response from foreign ministry officials. But Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi convened a National Security Council meeting later Tuesday attended by the powerful military chief and other senior military and government officials, a foreign ministry spokesman says.

Trump used his first tweet of 2018 to tear into Islamabad. “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools,” he said.

“They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!”

Pakistan hit back swiftly, saying it had done much for the United States, helping it to “decimate” Al-Qaeda, while getting only “invective & mistrust” in return. The angry comments came from its foreign and defense ministers.

— AFP