US approves resumption of military training program for Pakistan

The US President Donald Trump approves the renewal of International Military Education and Training Program (IMET) for Pakistan.

US President has approved the resumption to build up relations and military to military cooperation between Pakistan & the US and advance US national security.

The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the US Department of State has revealed the decision in a tweet. Alice Wells, the United States Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs has signed the approval.

The State Department has said, “To strengthen military to military cooperation on shared priorities and advance US national security, President Donald Trump authorized the resumption of International Military Education and Training (IMET) for Pakistan. The overall security assistance suspensio0n for Pakistan remains in effect,”

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To strengthen mil2mil cooperation on shared priorities & advance US national security, @POTUS authorized the resumption of International Military Education and Training #IMET for Pakistan. The overall security assistance suspension for Pakistan remains in effect. AGW

— State_SCA (@State_SCA) January 3, 2020

Given that the US State Department had publicly acknowledged that the US would offer again the military training program for Pakistan two weeks before the approval was given.

A few hours before the approval was revealed, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa had spoken to the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Mike Pompeo mentioned in a tweet, “Pakistan’s chief of Staff General Bajwa and I spoke today about US defensive action to kill Qassem Soleimani. The Iran regime’s actions in the region are destabilizing and our resolve in protecting American interests, personnel, facilities, and partners will not waver,”

#Pakistan‘s Chief of Staff General Bajwa and I spoke today about U.S. defensive action to kill Qassem Soleimani. The #Iran regime’s actions in the region are destabilizing and our resolve in protecting American interests, personnel, facilities, and partners will not waver.

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 3, 2020

Given that IMET affords spaces to international military officers at US military education institutions, such as the US Army War College and the US Naval College.

Patrol aircraft, automated drones added in Pak Navy Fleet

It should be remembered that Pakistan was suspended from the IMET program in August 2018. It provoked the cancellation of 66 slots set aside in 2018 for Pakistan military officers in one of the first known influences of Trump’s decision to close security help.