WASHINGTON, Nov 21: The United States has suspended a total of $1.66 billion in security assistance to Pakistan, Department of Defense spokesperson Col. Rob Manning told reporters.

"$1.66 billion of security assistance to Pakistan is suspended," Manning said on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Trump wrote that Pakistan was paid billions of US dollars and "did nothing" to assist the United States in fighting terrorism, including in Afghanistan and the operation to capture al-Qaeda terror group’s leader Osama Bin Laden. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the United States should assess the efficiency of its military operation in Afghanistan instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for its failures in the region.

In September, the Pentagon suspended $300 million in aid to Islamabad, citing the government's alleged failure to fight the Taliban and terrorist groups that conduct cross-border attacks from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan.

The US move came after Washington announced in January that it was suspending $900 million in security aid to Islamabad until it takes action against the Afghan Taliban.

Trump unveiled a new policy on Afghanistan in August. The strategy included boosting troop numbers in Afghanistan and pressuring Pakistan to do a better job of cracking down on terrorists who have found sanctuary within the country’s borders.

 
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