We hoped for many things to end when 2017 did. One of the things on that list would most definitely be Donald Trump. For much of 2017, President Donald Trump was mentioned in countless headlines. His tweets have been fodder for news channels for a very long time, now. On January 1st 2018, Donald J. Trump caused a commotion in Pakistan by posting the following tweet with his tiny little thumbs: To put it quite simply, imagine getting a slap from one of your parents without warning. That is probably what this tweet felt like: a little confusion and pain, but a lot of fear. Donald, being Donald, probably didn’t anticipate the wave this tweet would cause. Essentially, Trump is questioning Pakistan’s role in the War on Terror.
Government and Army response
The government was genuinely shocked. No one had anticipated such a comment, and they would have never imagined its ramifications. The US president had threatened to withdraw humanitarian and military aid of approximately 255 million USD. In response, Prime Minister Abbasi, and Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, led a meeting of the Federal Cabinet at the PM House. To the credit of the government, the message that has come out in response to the tweet has been one of unity. The aid alleged to be withheld from Pakistan is no small amount. However, the government has managed to placate public and federal institutions with its message. The army commented that any action by the US government will be met by actions by the Pakistani army. That being said, all actions will reflect the interest of the Pakistani people. At the same time, Major General Ghafoor added in his statement that allies cannot fight wars amongst each other.
Opposition and National Assembly Response
On the other hand, opposition leader Imran Khan has been incredibly vocal and blunt with his replies. He called the US President “ungrateful” and “ignorant.” He also called on the Pakistani government and the public to be careful and “not get used by others again.” All other opposing party leaders, like Imran Khan, have been very vocal against Trump’s remarks. After all this ruckus, a National assembly meeting has been called on the 12th of January. The meeting will determine the Federal government’s next steps. Political leaders in wake of this Twitter attack have pointed out Pakistan’s many sacrifices in this war. Let’s hope the rest of the new year is more stable and peaceful than the first five days of it.