Pakistan calls Trump comments ‘incomprehensible’, dares US to audit $33 billion aid

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top civilian and military leadership rejected US President Donald Trump’s charge that Washington was fed nothing but lies and deceit from Islamabad despite receiving millions of American dollars in aid, with the top policy-forming body of the country describing his comments as “completely incomprehensible”.

As a matter of fact, foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif challenged President Trump’s claim that the US had given Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years, saying that verification by an audit firm would prove the US President wrong.

“President Trump quoted a figure of $33 billion given to Pakistan over last 15 years. He can hire a US-based audit firm on our expense to verify this figure and let the world know who is lying and deceiving,” Asif said.



Trump’s New Year’s Day roasting of Pakistan on Twitter drew angry response on the streets as well, apart from official summoning of the US ambassador in Islamabad for an explanation, sources said.

There were protests in Karachi with activists of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council shouting anti-US slogans on the streets.

President Trump’s fresh tirade was discussed at length at a meeting of National Security Council (NSC), the country’s highest forum headed by the Prime Minister, and mandated for considering national security and foreign policy matters.

The NSC statement followed Corps Commanders Conference at General Headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi that finalised its suggestions for Pakistan’s response to Trump’s allegations.

The NSC meeting was chaired by PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and attended by the country’s top civilian and military leadership.

Expressing disappointment over Trump’s statement, the NSC said that the US President’s accusations strike at the trust between the two countries and negate the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan.

The meeting observed that Trump’s statements were “completely incomprehensible as they contradicted facts manifestly, struck with great insensitivity at the trust between two nations built over generations, and negated the decades of sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation”.

The forum decided not to take any hasty measures in replying to the US. The NSC stated that Pakistan cannot be blamed for failures in Afghanistan and accusing allies will not lead to the establishment of peace in the country. The committee further said that Pakistan is undeterred in its resolve for establishing peace within its territory.

A meeting of parliamentary committee on national security is now scheduled on January 5 to discuss the anti-Pakistan statement by Trump.

Sources privy to the meeting revealed that the meeting discussed that the foreign minister and other officials will contact friendly countries, including China, to take them into confidence.