INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Mike Pompeo also accused Islamabad of treating US diplomats badly
(File)Washington: The American financial assistance to Pakistan is under review, US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo told lawmakers on Thursday and accused Islamabad of treating US diplomats "badly".Mr Pompeo was responding to questions from
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher who said the US should stop providing any financial assistance to Pakistan until it releases Shakil Afridi, a
doctor who helped the CIA hunt down Osama bin Laden in 2011."With respect to Pakistan, we released far fewer funds in 2018 than in the year
The remainder of the funds available are under review
My guess is that that number will be smaller still," he told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.Mr Rohrabacher said he sees no
"reason" in giving any financial aid to Pakistan if it still keeps Shakil Afridi in jail
Pompeo said he worked "diligently" on the issue of Afridi in his previous role as the CIA Director, but acknowledged that he has been
"unsuccessful" so far."Please be aware that it's at my heart and I know it's important and we can do that
We can achieve that outcome," he said.Mr Rohrabacher intervened by saying that the situation is getting "worse" in Pakistan
"These people in Karachi and the Sindhs and the others, they're now facing these people who are killing their leaders or killing their
people who believe in certain things that are different than the radical Islamic philosophy of some of the people in the Pakistani
Besides financial assistance issue, Mr Pompeo said, the US also needs to take note of treatment meted out to American diplomats by
Pakistan."Our State Department officials are being treated badly as well
Folks working in the embassies and in the consulates and other places are not being treated well by the Pakistani government either, a real
problem that we need to take the measure of also," he said.Congressman Brad Sharman hoped that the US State Department would reach out to
the leaders of Pakistan about the "forced disappearances in Sind".
