US Ambassador David Hale on Tuesday briefed Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on a statement issued by Donald Trump in which he had lambasted ally Pakistan for offering safe haven to “agents of chaos”.

A Foreign Office statement said Hale briefed Asif on the latter’s meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the next few days. It added that Tillerson looked forward to an “in-depth discussion” with Asif.

The foreign minister, reiterating Pakistan's desire for peace in Afghanistan, told Hale that he had accepted the invitation extended to him by Tillerson last week and looked forward to interactions with Washington.

“Highlighting Pakistan's immense sacrifices in the enduring fight against terrorism, the foreign minister underlined Pakistan's continued desire to work with the international community to eliminate the menace of terrorism,” the statement added.

Trump, in a prime-time televised address at a military base near Washington, said his new approach was aimed at preventing Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for Islamist militants bent on attacking the United States.

The US president laid out a tougher approach to US policy toward Pakistan. Senior US officials warned he could reduce security assistance for Pakistan unless the nuclear-armed nation cooperates more in preventing militants from using safe havens on its soil.

"We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens," Trump said. "Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbor terrorists."

A Pakistani Army spokesman said on Monday that Pakistan had taken action against all Islamist militants including the Haqqani network, which is allied to Afghan Taliban insurgents.

"There are no terrorist hideouts in Pakistan. We have operated against all terrorists, including (the) Haqqani network," spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told a media briefing in Islamabad.