Pakistan rejects US accusations over counterterrorism efforts

Islamabad, Dec 20 (IANS) Pakistan on Tuesday rejected the allegations levelled against it by US President Donald Trump in the newly-released US National Security Strategy 2017.

In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan said it rejects the unfounded accusations that contradict facts, trivialise Pakistan's efforts in fight against terrorism and its unmatched sacrifices to promote peace and stability in the region.

"Pakistan has long been at the forefront in the fight against regional and global terrorism. It is because of Pakistan's cooperation with the international community, acknowledged and appreciated by the US leadership, that the Al- Qaeda core was decimated from the region," Geo News cited the statement as sying.

The Foreign Ministry stated that Pakistan continues to suffer due to state sponsored terrorism, funded and abetted by its neighbours through proxies.

"These proxies, consisting of individuals, organisations and intelligence agencies, are working against Pakistan at the behest of regional adversaries. The self-proclaimed guarantors of peace and phony regional powers are pursuing this nefarious game of expansionism to the detriment of regional and global peace," the statement added.

"Destabilising policies and actions by some countries to maintain their hegemony in pursuit of absolute power are responsible for instability in several parts of the world, including ours," the statement said.

The ministry also said countries emerge as regional or global powers on the basis of their constructive contributions, adding that it does not fall upon one country to bestow such status on any state.