LEFT: Donald Trump in Panama City, Panama, July 6, 2011. REUTERS/Alberto Lowe/Files; RIGHT: A Pakistan Army officer stands next to the national flag. Image: REUTERS/Files

 

Trump cannot bear to sever the United States' linkages with "longtime" ally Pakistan, the New York Times warned early Sunday morning, saying such a move on his part could be detrimental for America and pave way for even better Sino-Pak relations.

The publication went on to claim that Trump's aggressive and very globally audible admonition seems to indicate that he does not have a proper strategy in his plans.

"President Trump?s bombast and the precipitous way the decision seems to have been made have led to doubts that Mr. Trump has a serious plan for managing the ramifications of this move," the publication added.

Back on January 1, 2018, the American head-of-state had tweeted that the US had "foolishly" given Pakistan over $33 billion in aid over the past 15 years, adding that Islamabad gives "safe havens to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!?

Trump could freeze $2bn of Pakistan aid over militant havens

It is 'approximately two billion worth of equipment and coalition support funding that is in play', a senior official said on condition of anonymity

The US had then announced to cut aid worth $255 million to Islamabad, with Heather Nauert ? the spokesperson for the Department of State ? saying, "We can confirm that we are suspending security assistance only to Pakistan at this time".

On Friday, Major General Asif Ghafoor ? the Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) ? had said the aid suspension would impact bilateral security cooperation between the two nations as well as the regional peace.

?Suspension of security assistance will not affect Pakistan?s resolve to fight terrorism; however, it, for sure, will have an impact on Pakistan-US security cooperation and efforts towards regional peace,? said the Army spokesman.

US suspension of aid to impact security cooperation, regional peace: DG ISPR

Pakistan Army has indiscriminately targeted terrorists, including the Haqqani network, says Army spokesman

Ghafoor said that Pakistan never fought for money, but for peace, adding that the Pakistan Army has indiscriminately targeted terrorists ? including the Haqqani network ? at a ?heavy cost of blood and treasure?.

The rhetoric has raised hackles in Islamabad, adding to the fears that the row could undermine Pakistan's support for American operations in Afghanistan.

Without laying out any details, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs lately warned that "arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements, and shifting goalposts are counterproductive in addressing common threats".

Pakistan ? which is of crucial importance to the US due to the latter using the former's road and rail networks as well as the airspace to funnel supplies for its troops in Afghanistan ? "could shut down American access at any moment".

It becomes a matter of even graver importance that Trump "has given no assurance that he would not make matters worse".

A decision to withdraw or limit support towards the US may, alternatively, suggest an opening into the further enhancement of Pakistan's friendship with China, "which is already investing in major new infrastructure projects and expanding its international leadership".

If Trump was to realise how precariously the frail balance is being maintained at present ? quite unlikely taking into account how he quickly supported Senator Rand Paul's proposal to "take the money that would have gone to Pakistan and put it in an infrastructure fund to build roads and bridges here [in the US]" ? he might consider other options.

Which is, to say, "harness his new friendships with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates".

However, that "would, of course, require quiet negotiations, not shouting".

Nevertheless, the analysis concluded on one significant point: "President Trump cannot afford to walk away from Pakistan".