United States President Donald Trump is ready to take "whatever steps necessary" against Pakistan if it does not mend its ways and continues to provide support to terror groups on its soil, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said.
Mattis also said that if Pakistan fails to take concrete actions against safe havens for terrorists, then the nation would have to face global "diplomatic isolation" and will end up losing its Non-NATO ally status.
"If our best efforts fail, President Trump is prepared to take whatever steps necessary," Mattis said while addressing the members of the House Armed Services Committee during a Congressional testimony on South Asia and Afghanistan on Wednesday, PTI reports.
The Defence Secretary was asked multiple questions by Congressmen in the Committee who their frustration on Islamabad not taking any substantial action against terror groups in its country.
Mattis replied to the questions by stating that the US has "enormously powerful number of options" if Pakistan does not follow through and work on stability in the region.
"Right now, I would like to think we will be successful," Mattis said. "With the growing consensus against terrorism, they'll find themselves diplomatically isolated."
"There is an awful lot of advantage to Pakistan of coming online with the international community, and we have to stay focused there, but the penalties are just as significant as the advantages if they choose to go a different direction," he said.
"But for right now, the US needs to try one more time to make this strategy work with them by, with, and through the Pakistanis," the Defence Secretary added.
Mattis' tough stance on Pakistan came as Pakistan Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif is visiting the US in attempt to rebuild bilateral frayed ties with America. Trump, last month, had accused Pakistan of sheltering terror groups on its soil.
Asif, in a meeting with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, defended Pakistan's role in the war against terrorism, by claiming that Islamabad has pursued a zero-tolerance and indiscriminate approach in its campaign against all terrorist and militant groups.
