US President Donald Trump lashed out at Pakistan on Monday in his first tweet of 2018, threatening to cut off aid over what he said were its "lies and deceit" in offering "safe haven to terrorists".
"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," Trump said as the new year kicked off.
"They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"
Last week, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration was seriously weighing whether to withhold $255 million in already delayed aid to Islamabad over its failure to crack down more effectively on terror groups in Pakistan.
US-Pakistani ties, long contentious, have taken a nosedive under Trump, who in August declared that "Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence and terror."
Last month, Trump had already hinted that he may cut off the aid.
"We make massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help," he said in unveiling his national security strategy.
And in late December, Vice President Mike Pence told American troops during a visit to Afghanistan, "President Trump has put Pakistan on notice."
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif responded to Trump's tweet Monday, saying, "The United States should hold its own people accountable for its failures in Afghanistan."
He said all funds from the US had been "properly audited" and that "services (were) rendered."