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ISLAMABAD, Jan. 4-- The gulf is widening between Pakistan and the United States, two longtime allies in anti-terrorism, after U.S. President Donald Trump's recent accusations of deception and providing a safe haven for terrorists against Pakistan. In his first Tweet of the year on Monday, Trump accused Pakistan for lying to the United States and offering "little help" in hunting terrorists in Afghanistan. Furious Trump even threatened to cut aid to Pakistan. "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion USD in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies and deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools," Trump said, adding that "they give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" The accusations prompted Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to call a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on the issue. The committee expressed "deep disappointment" over the U.S. president's comments. The committee made it loud and clear that Pakistan was firmly supporting the U.S.-led international anti-terrorism effort in Afghanistan and, as a result of Pakistan's counter-terrorism cooperation, Al-Qaida had been decimated from the region. Officials here insist that Pakistan lost around 70,000 people in the war on terror since 2001 and the country suffered over 120 billion U.S. dollars during the period. The statement further said that it was mostly because of this endeavor, Pakistan was suffering a brutal backlash, including the killing of hundreds of its schoolchildren by terrorists based in Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan cannot be held responsible for the collective failure in Afghanistan. | 
