The US Administration under President Donald Trump has been seriously considering hardening its approach towards Pakistan for not deterring militants launching attacks in Afghanistan. Washington is also considering downgrading Pakistan’s status as “major non-NATO ally” and expanding US drone strikes deep into its territory.

Reuters reports that some US officials were skeptical of the prospects of success arguing years of previous US governments efforts have failed in curbing Pakistan’s support to the militant groups. Growing US-India relations undermine the chances of any breakthrough with Islamabad.

However there are officials in Pentagon who seek more cooperation with Pakistan, not a rupture in ties after the present review. A US official, speaking on a condition of anonymity, was quoted as saying, “We’ve never really fully articulated what our strategy towards Pakistan is. The strategy will more clearly say what we want from Pakistan specifically.”

But others believe that additional US troops deployment in Afghanistan will fail to meet their ultimate objective without more pressure on militants within Pakistan who target Afghanistan

Meanwhile Hamdullah Mohib, Afghan ambassador in Washington said, “I believe there will be a much harder US line on Pakistan going forward than there has been in the past.”