Former envoy to Trump: Be tough with Pakistan to win Afghanistan's trust

Pakistan's former envoy to the United States Husain Haqqani (pictured) has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to take a tough stand against Pakistan if Washington wants to secure Afghanistan's trust.In an opinion piece titled 'To Win Afghanistan, Get Tough on Pakistan' for The New York Times, Ambassador Haqqani says, "Although the Taliban are said to control or contest 40 percent of Afghanistan's territory, Taliban leaders operate from the safety of Pakistan".

He said President Trump must now consider alternatives as Washington's incentives to Pakistan since the September 11 terror attacks have failed to dissuade the latter from stopping its support to the Taliban and other terror elements.

Ambassador Haqqani opines that for Islamabad, the alliance with the United States has been more about securing weapons, economic aid and diplomatic support in its confrontation with India. He said both the US and Pakistan have disappointed each other because of divergence in their interests in South Asia.