A day after the United States said that Pakistan is being urged to prove it's a 'responsible steward' of its nuclear missiles, the country has hit back at the Donald Trump administration and said accusations made in its first foreign policy are 'unfounded'.
Pakistan's Foreign Office late on Tuesday said that accusations made in the first foreign policy taken out by the Trump administration are 'unsubstantiated', 'unfounded', and far away from ground realities, reported Pakistani newspaper Dawn. "Pakistan rejects such unfounded accusations that belie facts on ground and trivialise Pakistan’s efforts for fighting terrorism," Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal was quoted as saying.
(Also read: Pakistan accuses India of stockpiling nuclear weapons)
A day earlier, Washington released Trump administration's first foreign policy which - among many other points - raised concern over safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. "The United States will also encourage Pakistan to continue demonstrating that it is a responsible steward of its nuclear assets," read the policy. "The prospect for an Indo-Pakistani military conflict that could lead to a nuclear exchange remains a key concern requiring consistent diplomatic attention."
(Also read: Pakistan buckles to pressure, to treat Chinese Yuan equal to US Dollar)
Pakistan countered with a two-pronged verbal attack - one targeting what it calls American agenda of propping up India in South Asia, and the other in which the country said it is doing enough to tackle the menace of terrorism. "Ironically, a country with a record of defiance of UNSC [United Nations Security Council] resolutions, introduction of nuclear weapons in South Asia and use of terrorism as a state policy is being projected as a regional leader," the Foreign Office statement said.
Recent times have seen differences crop up between Pakistan and the United States on the issue of terrorism. The United States wants Pakistan to crack down on home-grown terrorist outfits - especially the Haqqani Network. Pakistan says it is already doing all it can. Several leaders here have called for further strengthening of relations with China.
