Pakistan suspends talks with US over Doand Trump’s remarks: Report

By Sajjad HussainnnISLAMABAD: Pakistan has suspended official visits and talks with the US to protest against President Donald Trump’s criticism of Islamabad for providing safe havens to militants, a media report said today.nnIt was disclosed by Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif yesterday in the Senate, which converted itself into a committee to discuss the deteriorating relations with the US.nnAsif told the Senators that Pakistan had suspended talks and bilateral visits as a mark of protest, Dawn quoted sources as saying.nnUS Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice Wells was supposed to arrive here today, while the foreign minister himself was to travel to the US last week.nnAbout the recently unveiled policy of the US president on South Asia, Asif said it envisaged no military role for India in Afghanistan.nnAccording to the sources, the minister said it was rather a role of economic development.nnHe claimed during the in-camera session of the committee that India would not be allowed to use Afghan soil to destabilise Pakistan.nnThe members also asked the government to share a fact- sheet on US assistance received after 9/11 and the financial loss incurred by the country as a frontline state against the war on terror.nnForeign Secretary Tehmina Janjua informed the house that a meeting of Pakistan s envoys had been convened from September 5 to 7 to chalk out a strategy after announcement of the new US policy on South Asia.nnIt was decided that the committee will meet again to fine-tune policy guidelines in the light of emerging realities and the role of the US.nnThe policy guidelines will be given shape of a resolution which is most likely to be passed by the Senate on Wednesday.nnBefore the foreign minister made a request to declare the proceedings in-camera, Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani reminded him of his proposal for a joint session of parliament made in the presence of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.nnHe said that if a resolution passed separately by the Senate was sent to the National Assembly, it would be sitting in judgement on a document of the other house.nnHe said it would also not send a good message if both the houses passed different resolutions.nnThe foreign minister, however, said the National Assembly might endorse the resolution passed by the Senate or slightly alter it.nnSource: Press Trust of India