ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday termed the media reports regarding threats by the US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel to halt aid to Pakistan as baseless.
On December 9, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel during his brief visit to Islamabad had reportedly warned Pakistani leaders that if they didn’t resolve protests stalling some military shipments across the border with Afghanistan, it could be difficult to maintain political support in the US for an aid program for Pakistan.
In his weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesman Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry said that the media reports regarding threats by the US Defence Secretary to halt aid for Pakistan were baseless.
The spokesman said that the US Defence Secretary Chuck Hegel held positive talks with Pakistan leadership during his recent visit. He said that the issue of suspending NATO supply was discussed at the meetings but the US Defence Secretary did not give any threat to stop aid.
Chaudhry said that the issue of US missile strikes in Pakistani territory can jeopardize bilateral relations between Pakistan and the United States.
The Foreign Office spokesman said that Pakistan’s stance on missile strikes has not changed, reiterating that such attacks against sovereignty of the country and against international laws.
The spokesman said that the US defense secretary was also conveyed about Pakistan’s deep concern over continuing US missile strikes, stressing that such strikes were counter-productive to our efforts to combat terrorism and extremism on an enduring basis.
To a question‚ he said that visit of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to New Delhi is continuity of the efforts to normalize relations between the two countries.
