In a wide-ranging interview with Sindh TV News, Washington based journalist and author Nafisa Hoodbhoy says that the US and Pakistan are still not on the same page, despite diplomatic efforts to bridge the divide from both sides.
Interviewed by Sindh TV anchor Fayyaz Naiych in front of the US Capitol, the author says that the Trump administration has kept its consistent pressure on Pakistan to “stop giving refuge to Afghan Taliban,” whom they claim are still fighting NATO troops in Afghanistan.
The US has ramped the pressure by cutting off Coalition Support Funds to Pakistan – with the step taken in sync with US president Donald Trump’s harsh New Year tweet against Pakistan’s Afghan policy.
She speaks about how Pakistan’s economic difficulties have caused it to approach the International Monetary Fund for a bail out loan. In her words, this requires that Pakistan keep its good relations with the US, including allaying suspicion that it does not repay China’s loans through IMF aid.
The author speaks about how the US relationship with India has expanded to deeper economic investment, while its relationship with Pakistan still revolves around finding a final resolution to its longest war in Afghanistan.
The interview may be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI5z8fW0b9k