Allies do not put each other on notice: Pakistan after US Vice President Mike Spence's ultimatum

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday reacted strongly to US Vice President Mike Spence's warning that the Donald Trump administration has "put Pakistan on notice" for providing safe haven to the Taliban and other militant groups.

Slamming Pence's comments, a statement from Foreign Office of Pakistan said, "Allies do not put each other on notice," adding that the remarks were "at variance with the extensive conversations we have had with the US administration".

"Allies do not put each other on notice. On notice should be those factors responsible for exponential increase in drug production, expansion of ungoverned spaces, industrial scale corruption, breakdown of governance, and letting Daesh gain a foothold in Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry's spokesperson said.

Making an unannounced trip to Afghanistan, Pence on Thursday warned Pakistan over "providing safe havens to the Taliban and other groups for too long".

Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua in a Senate Standing Committee session on Friday expressed deep concern over US Vice President Mike Pences comments on Pakistan.

Janjua said that the US must treat Pakistan and India on equal footing. She said that Pence's comments were worrisome and that US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had assured Islamabad of resolving the issue of Afghan soil being used by terrorists to carry out attacks in Pakistan, the Express Tribune reported.

Trump while announcing his South Asia Policy in August had criticised Pakistan for not doing enough to combat terrorism.

"For too long Pakistan has provided safe haven to the Taliban and many terrorist organisations, but those days are over. President Trump has put Pakistan on notice," Pence told American troops at the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.

"As the President said, so I say now. Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with the US, and Pakistan has much to lose by continuing to harbour criminals and terrorists," the vice president said, issuing another stern warning to Pakistan.

The Trump administration, he said, has given troops new authorities to directly target terrorists no matter where they hide.

Trump has empowered battlefield commanders with the freedom and flexibility they need to win, Pence said, adding the president's new strategy is already bearing fruit all across Afghanistan.

"For the partnerships we have forged and are continuing to forge to achieve peace and security here in Afghanistan but also ensure that peace and security for the people of the United States," Pence told reporters after his meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Abdullah Abdullah.