Acting on the heels of US shutting aid for Palestinian refugees fund at UNRWA, Pentagon has cancelled $300m (£230m) worth of aid to Pakistan,on Saturday, for a perceived failure to decisively fight back against militants.
Lt Col Kone Faulkner, the Pentagon spokesman said, “Due to a lack of Pakistani decisive actions in support of the South Asia Strategy the remaining $300 (million) was reprogrammed.” The money will be spent” other urgent priorities” if approved by Congress, he added.
He further said that US defence department “is awaiting a congressional determination on whether this reprogramming request will be approved or denied”.
London based Independent writes that the decision came months after US President Donald Trump suggested that the US has repeatedly helped Pakistan, only to be rewarded with “nothing but lies and deceit”.
US Congress stripped $500m (£365m) in coalition support funds from Islamabad earlier this year. This means US has by now removed $800m (£616m) in total.
The US military will now ask Congress for approval to re-appropriate those funds for other priorities.
The Pentagon’s move comes ahead of Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Joseph F Dunford’s visit to Islamabad next week. They will also meet Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Trump administration has alleged that Islamabad is granting safe haven to insurgents who are waging a 17-year-old war in neighbouring Afghanistan, a charge the country has denied.
Present US administration does not like to recall that Washington had funded Afghan Mujahedeen through Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to fight against Russian forces in Afghanistan in 1980s. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke about US connivance with Afghan militants in one of her address in Congress. Her video was uploaded on You Tube in March 2011.
See video:
The decision is likely to increase pressure on Islamabad’s security apparatus as Pakistan’s economy continues to struggle, experts have said.
Pakistan is reportedly considering applying for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), an international body in which the US has the most number of votes.
On Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a meeting with Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif had expressed his country’s support to Iran on multilateral nuclear deal.
Previous Pakistani government headed by Nawaz Sharif had never spoke of this kind of support for Iran, the arch rival of US-Saudi Arabia-Israel axis.
According to reports from Islamabad, detailed discussions were held between the two foreign ministers on regional and global issues including situation in Afghanistan and the US decision to unilaterally withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as JCPOA.
Pakistan’s foreign office statement said, “As regards JCPOA, while supporting Iran’s principled stance, Qureshi expressed the hope that remaining parties to the Agreement would uphold their commitments in letter and spirit.”
Qureshi told his Iranian counterpart that “Pakistan stands with Iran in this hour of need.” The statement said, “This was important given International Atomic Energy Agency repeated verification that Iran has strictly adhered to the terms of agreement.”
Pakistan’s new Prime Minister, Imran Khan has suggested he would shoot down US drones if they enter Pakistani airspace and has been critical of the open-ended US war in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Pakistan has received more than $33bn in US assistance since 2002, including more than $14bn from a fund set up to help allies that incur military costs as they help with counter-insurgency operations.
The US has been exerting pressure on Pakistan to crack down on the alleged militant safe havens along the Afghan border, which is denied by Islamabad. US officials accuse Pakistan of ignoring or even collaborating with terror groups.
India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.
According to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, Trivedi sought PM Modi’s guidance on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh through a constructive and people-centric approach.
The meeting came a day after Trivedi held discussions with Tarique Rahman on matters of mutual interest and ways to advance ties between the two neighbouring countries.
Dinesh Trivedi Meets Bangladesh PM
During his meeting with Tarique Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and reiterated India’s commitment to working with the Bangladeshi administration and its people in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.
The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening India-Bangladesh relations with a people-centric approach.
The engagement took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Trivedi also shared his experience of serving in Dhaka over the previous two months.
Sheikh Hasina Extradition Request
The meeting assumed significance as Bangladesh has expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a student-led uprising in 2024.
According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka also reiterated its request for India to return individuals it alleges were involved in the killing of Shahid Osman Hadi, a prominent figure associated with the July uprising who was shot on December 12, 2025.
Tarique Rahman stressed the need to create a suitable environment to take forward relations between Bangladesh and India.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and other officials attended the meeting.
India-Bangladesh Ties Amid Diplomatic Friction
The latest high-level engagements come amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries following a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.
The event, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, prompted strong objections from Dhaka.
During the interaction, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore democracy, while acknowledging the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently registered a strong protest and said the development had affected public sentiment and complicated efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
India has said the government had no involvement in the event. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was organised by a private media entity and clarified that New Delhi did not endorse views expressed at the forum.
Trump, PM Modi will resolve tariff issue over Russian oil trade, says US official
White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue over US tariff threats linked to India’s Russian oil trade.
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue surrounding the threat of US tariffs linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.
Navarro’s remarks came days after the US Senate passed a bill authorising the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil. The measure argues that such purchases directly contribute to financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Navarro comments on India’s Russian oil trade
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia before the Ukraine war began in 2022.
He alleged that India became heavily involved in the trade after Russia’s invasion and sold refined products on behalf of Russia, which he said helped support the Russian war effort.
“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” Navarro said.
The White House adviser also claimed that the issue had since been resolved and attributed some of the shift in India’s Russian oil trade to an opinion article he recently wrote in the Financial Times.
Trump and Modi will resolve issue, Navarro says
Navarro said the relationship between Trump and Modi would help address the tariff-related issue.
“The president and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves,” he said, adding that it was not his place to intervene.
His comments come amid US concerns over countries purchasing Russian oil and proposed measures aimed at imposing additional tariffs on major buyers.
The US Senate has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.
The legislation was passed by an 86-11 vote and will now move to the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.
The bill is named in honour of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11. Graham had pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.
India and China among major Russian energy buyers
The legislation gives the US president the power to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.
India and China are among those countries, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.
The bill also contains an exception for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and taking steps to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.
What does the Russia sanctions bill contain?
Apart from the proposed tariffs, the legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects.
The bill would also expand US sanctions to older and reflagged oil tankers allegedly used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.
At the same time, the White House would have the option to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that doing so is in the national interest.
Bill also extends Iran sanctions law
The legislation also contains a provision related to Iran. It would extend the expiration date of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.
The law penalises companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.
The bill’s passage in the Senate marks the next step in the US legislative process, but it still needs approval from the House of Representatives before it can move forward.
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