US makes Pakistan PM Abbasi undergo routine security-check at airport
Pakistan is enraged over visuals of PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi leaving a security checkpoint at a US airport during a recent "private" visit. "There's no such thing as a private visit...There are protocols when you're representing 22cr people," roared an anchor on a Pakistani channel. This has strained already-tense ties between Islamabad and Washington, which has been upping pressure on Pakistan for anti-terror measures.
Watch: The footage that has now gone viral in Pakistan
The incident that has got Islamabad riled up
Footage splashed across Pakistani channels the last two days show Abbasi, who was in the US last week to visit his ailing sister, picking up his belongings and leaving a security check apparently at an American airport. Geo News claimed he underwent the check voluntarily and released a video where Abbasi is seen at the airport without any security protocol.
The US has been consistently upping the pressure on Pakistan
On Monday, the US announced sanctions on seven Pakistani companies over their alleged links to nuclear-trade. Earlier, it had suspended over $1.15bn in security assistance to Islamabad for its inaction over home-based terror. Washington is considering tougher steps, including revoking Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally and "imposing sanctions on individuals in the Pakistani government deemed responsible for providing support to the militants."
US Vice-President Pence asks Abbasi again to adopt anti-terror measures
During Abbasi's recent trip, he met US Vice President Mike Pence, who told him his country "must do more" against Taliban and other terror groups. The US believes that despite its clampdown, Pakistan still hasn't done much to check terror.
For Washington, a game of balance
However, Washington is also trying to maintain balance; it is concerned about the nuclear-capable Pakistan potentially joining hands with China. Last week, John Bolton, who believes "nuclear Pakistan is too big and too dangerous to be allowed to fail," was appointed NSA. Measures are likely to get tougher; reports say US is mulling permanently cutting off military aid to strain Pakistan's defense budget.
