WASHINGTON, JAN 18 (DNA) – The US believes that suspending security assistance to Pakistan is important to put pressure on it to act against terror safe havens, the White House has said as it defended President Donald Trump’s remarks that Islamabad had given America nothing but “lies and deceit”.

Early this month, the US freeze security aid to Pakistan for not taking any decisive action against terrorists operating from its soil.

President Trump also accused Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorist groups like the Taliban and the Haqqani Network and used his first tweet of the year to criticise Islamabad over the issue.

“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” Trump had said in the tweet.

When asked if the White House stands by the comments the president made in the tweet, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders responded by saying “yes”.

“Our position is firm: that we believe that withdrawing that aid is important,” Sanders said.