Washington: The United States has once again demanded that Pakistan should take stronger action against terrorists. US Vice President Mike Pence made this demand during the Pakistan Prime Minister, Khaqan Abbasi’s US visit. Taking note of the rapidly increasing Chinese influence in Pakistan, the US leaders conveyed their concerns about this to the Pakistan Prime Minister. Some of the Pakistani newspapers have expressed regret that there has been no gain for Pakistan from Prime Minister Abbasi’s US visit.
In response to the Pakistani request, the US Vice President met the Pakistani Prime Minister at his residence. An advisor to Vice President on the affairs of South-Asia, Michael Cutrone was the only other person present at the meeting for taking notes. The Pakistani news agencies have informed that no US or Pakistani officials were present at this time. There are differences in the information revealed by the White House and the Pakistani government, about this meeting.
White House has said that Vice President Pence demanded a stronger action against terrorists from Pakistan and the Pakistani Prime Minister agreed to intensify the action against terrorists. The United States has been pulling Pakistan up about the inaction against terrorists ever since President Trump has assumed power. Senior officials of the United States and the people’s representatives are blaming Pakistan’s betrayal for the failure of the US war against terrorism in Afghanistan. The United States has increased pressure on Pakistan from the beginning of this year and has also frozen all the military and financial aid.
Following this Pakistan spoke a language of retaliation. The Pakistani analysts had claimed that Pakistan will try to reply to the United States with the help from the US competitors -Russia and China. The Pakistani government and the army also spoke on the same lines. But the situation seems to have changed after the US got Pakistan included in the Financial Action Task Force’s ‘Watch List’ and it seems that Pakistan has panicked as even China did not oppose the inclusion.
Against this background, the Pakistani Prime Minister visited the United States and met Vice President Pence.
Pakistani newspapers have claimed that there has been no gain for Pakistan from this visit. President of the Asia Pacific committee ‘Ted Yoho’ met the Pakistani Prime Minister. He conveyed the concerns of the United States to the Pakistani Prime Minster about the growing Chinese influence on Pakistan.
Pakistan is an important associate of China in the One Belt One Road project and China has reportedly made investments of about $50 billion in Pakistan. Although it was claimed to be an investment previously, it was revealed that most of the amount was a loan at a high interest rate. Pakistani economy, already at the rock bottom, does not have the capacity to repay this loan. Even in these circumstances, Pakistan has taken a loan of $500 million from China. In spite of the loan, the Pakistani economy seems to be on the verge of a collapse over the past few months.
Fears have been expressed that Pakistan will collapse in the near future if it is unable to secure loans from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank with help from the United States. It is on this background that the Pakistani Prime Minister’s visit is being looked upon. But the United States had already warned that unless Pakistan accedes to its demands it will not help Pakistan. The expectation expressed by the US Vice President to the Pakistani Prime Minister also suggests the same.
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