US could freeze up to $2 billion in aid to Pakistan: official

 AVA- The official has told AFP that both US military assistance and Afghanistan coalition funding to Islamabad could be suspended.

It is “approximately two billion worth of equipment and coalition support funding that is in play,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

However, the analysts believe the United States is highly unlikely to freeze all that funding, which totals $1.9 billion.

The US President Donald Trump last week criticized Pakistan in strong words for harboring the terrorist groups despite receiving billions in aid to support the counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan.

“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” Trump said in a Twitter post on Monday.

The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told reporters on Tuesday that “The administration is withholding $255 million in assistance to Pakistan. There are clear reasons for this. Pakistan has played a double game for years.”

“They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan,” she added.

Haley insisted that “That game is not acceptable to this administration. We expect far more cooperation from Pakistan in the fight against terrorism.”