The United States' decision to suspend security assistance to Pakistan will cast a shadow on the US efforts to combat terrorism in Afghanistan, as Pakistan plays a pivotal role in the anti-terrorism campaign in the region.

These comments were expressed in an article published in a Chinese newspaper "China Daily" in Beijing.

The daily said that the US decision has dealt a heavy blow to the already deteriorating relationship between Washington and Islamabad.

It said that the truth is that Washington has never treated Islamabad as an equal and respected ally despite Islamabad hunting down hundreds of terrorists with the limited resources at its disposal and paying a heavy price for aligning with the US.

Its intelligence sharing has also helped the US troops to hunt down the top leaders of terrorist groups, including Osama bin Laden.

And with the reconciliation process in Afghanistan being full of twists and turns, Pakistan has continued to suffer frequent terrorist attacks.

Under such circumstances, the suspension of US security assistance to Pakistan could be interpreted as a waning of Washington's commitment to fight terrorism in the region.

This might be in line with Trump's "America First" doctrine, but it could reinforce the widespread perception that the US is not acting like a responsible power in the region.

The US has the responsibility to clean up the mess it has created in Afghanistan. It should also help Pakistan contain its homegrown terrorists and those that have infiltrated the country from Afghanistan.

For both missions, Washington needs strategic support from Islamabad as Pakistan's border with Afghanistan is a pivotal passageway and supply line for US troops still stationed in Afghanistan.