Pakistan summons US ambassador after Trump’s angry tweet

Pakistan has summoned the US ambassador to protest against US President Donald Trump’s angry tweet about Pakistani “lies and deceit”, which Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif dismissed as a political stunt. David Hale was summoned by the Pakistan foreign office on Monday to explain Trump’s tweet, media said. The ministry could not be reached for comment but the US Embassy in Islamabad confirmed on Tuesday that a meeting had taken place. Trump said the United States had been rewarded with “nothing but lies and deceit” for “foolishly” giving Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid in the last 15 years. “They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” he tweeted on Monday. His words drew praise from Pakistan’s old foe, India, and neighbouring Afghanistan, but long-time ally China defended Pakistan. Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday chaired a National Security Committee meeting of civilian and military chiefs, focusing on Trump’s tweet. The meeting, which lasted nearly three hours, was brought forward by a day and followed an earlier meeting of army generals. Relations with Washington have been strained for years over Islamabad’s alleged support for Haqqani network militants, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban. The United States also alleges that senior Afghan Taliban commanders live on Pakistani soil, and has signalled that it will cut aid and take other steps if Islamabad does not stop helping or turning a blind eye to Haqqani militants crossing the border to carry out attacks in Afghanistan. In 2016, Taliban leader Mullah Mansour was killed by a US drone strike inside Pakistan and in 2011, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was found and killed by US troops in the garrison town of Abbottabad.