No more aids to Pakistan: Former US advisor

Washington: A former United States national security advisor, Gen (retd) HR McMaster, advised lawmakers against any fresh aids to Pakistan. While testifying before a powerful Congressional committee on Afghanistan convened by the US's House of Foreign Affairs Committee, he also said that the US should hold the Pakistan prime minister accountable for his comments supporting the Taliban occupied Kabul in August.

Pakistan should be confronted with international isolation because they support jihadist terrorists, including the Haqqani network, the Taliban and groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, which threatens humanity. It would be good if Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally is removed, he said.

McMaster said that the Trump administration's 2017 decision to withdraw all the assistance to Pakistan until it fundamentally changed its behaviour was the proper approach against the country.

After the Trump administration blocked all security assistance to Pakistan, the Biden administration has not resumed the aid yet.

McMaster said that ISI, Haqqani Network and Al-Qaida backed the Taliban, and that's how they recaptured Afghanistan. He added that the Taliban would use any money sent to Afghanistan for humanitarian purposes to solidify their power and become a more significant threat.

Meanwhile, Congressman Bill Keating said that Pakistan remains a problem for the US. The country was the first to recognise the Taliban when they took Afghanistan in 1996 and now. He alleged that there was accurate evidence that Pakistan was giving assistance for the Taliban to rebuild since 2005. The country's relationship with the Haqqani network is of great concern, he added.

Former US Ambassador to Pakistan, Ryan Croker, said that Pakistan worked against the US by supporting the Taliban. Pakistan did not want the Taliban as a mortal enemy. He added that it would be satisfying to see Pakistan being punished for their stand. Still, the punishment has already started since Pakistan is worried about the repercussion inside their own country of the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan, he said.