WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the US officials in Pakistan are “not being treated well by the Pakistani government”.
While presenting his testimony before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Pompeo said: “My officers, our state department officers are being treated badly as well, folks working in the embassies and councils [and] in other places are not being treated well by the Pakistani government either.”
He remarked that this “real problem” that needs to be taken measure of.
With regards to the new South Asia strategy of the US, he said “we have been clear with Pakistan that ensuring reconciliation, peace, and security in Afghanistan in large part depends on Pakistan’s willingness to crack down on terrorist safe havens and instigators of terrorist activity in its own country.”
Pompeo also shared that the US has released “far less funds in 2018” as compared to the previous year to Pakistan.
Speaking on the issue of Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi, who had helped US authorities track down al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, Pompeo remarked: “I worked diligently on the issue of Dr Afridi in my previous role…unsuccessfully, please know that it is in my heart and it is important and we can do that.”
