Choppy waters ahead as US seeks to ramp up Pakistan pressure

 As US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travels to the Pakistani capital Islamabad this week, with relations between the erstwhile strategic allies at a low ebb, analysts warn the road ahead could be even tougher for the South Asian nation.

Pompeo lands in Islamabad on Wednesday and will hold talks with the country's top civilian and military leadership during a one-day visit, before continuing on to neighbouring India.

On Sunday, the Pentagon confirmed the US was moving to cancel $300m in Coalition Support Funds, a reimbursement payment to Pakistan's military, "due to a lack of Pakistani decisive actions" against armed groups targeting US and Afghan forces in neighbouring Afghanistan.

The move was part of a sustained effort by the US administration to pressure Pakistan, after President Donald Trump cut more than $1.1bn in security assistance in January, accusing Pakistan of "nothing but lies and deceit".