Pentagon confirms move to scrap $300m military aid to Pakistan
US officials accuse Islamabad of ignoring or even collaborating with Islamist militant groups, a charge Pakistan strongly denies
Washington — The US military plans to cancel $300m in aid to Pakistan due to Islamabad’s lack of "decisive actions" in support of the US’s strategy in the region, the Pentagon said on Saturday. The US has been pushing Pakistan to crack down on militant safe havens in the country, and announced a freeze on aid at the beginning of the year that an official said could be worth almost $2bn. The defence department has sought to cut aid by $300m "due to a lack of Pakistani decisive actions in support of the South Asia Strategy", Lt-Col Kone Faulkner said. "We continue to press Pakistan to indiscriminately target all terrorist groups," Faulkner said, adding that the latest aid cut request was pending Congressional approval. The announcement came days before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to visit Islamabad to meet new Prime Minister Imran Khan. Pakistan has fought fierce campaigns against militant groups, and says it has lost thousands of lives and spent billions of dollar...
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