Pakistan confirms US suspended military training program

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s foreign ministry has confirmed the suspension of a U.S. military training program for Pakistani soldiers.

Thursday’s announcement by the ministry reflects continued tensions between the two allies in the war on terror.

The training of Pakistani soldiers in the United States is the latest program to be hurt by the cutoff of security aid to Pakistan, which was announced at the beginning of this year.

The United States often accuses Pakistan of harbouring militant groups and providing safe havens for insurgents who carry out attacks in neighbouring Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad denies and says U.S. criticism is unfair.

Pakistan also repeatedly reminds the United States that it has lost thousands of soldiers — more than the U.S. and NATO combined in Afghanistan __ fighting militants on its territory.