Earlier this week as he spoke on a new direction for Afghanistan, US President Donald Trump singled out Pakistan, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
His claims have rattled leaders across the country.
Pakistan's Interior Minister, Ahsan Iqbal, has strongly rejected the criticism, insisting Pakistan is a global leader in the fight against terrorism.
"No country in the world has done more than Pakistan to end terrorism, nor committed so many sacrifices for it. Therefore, we reject any assertions that accuse Pakistan of harbouring terrorists, because we are the biggest victims of terrorism. Also, no other country in the world can claim to have achieved the successes that Pakistan has achieved in the war against terrorism in the past four years."
President Trump said Pakistan has been providing "safe haven to terrorist organisations."
His words have angered many in Pakistan, who want the country to end its joint counter-terrorism effort with the US.
Sami-ul Haq runs an Islamic seminary where many senior Afghan Taliban have studied.
He describes the US President's comments as an "open declaration of war against Pakistan's sovereignty and integrity."
"The government of Pakistan should quit the alliance for war against so-called terrorism, and policies should be devised keeping in view the needs of national security."
US-Pakistan relations have been strained over the past decade, escalating in 2011, when al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was found and killed by US special forces in Pakistan.
Fresh tensions emerged last year, when a US drone strike killed the Afghan Taliban leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in southwestern Pakistan.
Pakistan's government labelled the attack as a violation of its sovereignty and denied knowing that the Mullah was in the country, as it did with Osama bin Laden.
Sami ul-Haq wants Pakistan to take a more hard-line stance against the US, just as North Korea and Iran have.
"We have to give America a decisive answer. We will have to display courage and honour. We should take a lesson from North Korea, which has lived through tough times but has beaten the hell out of America. America is bowing before North Korea daily. We should also learn a lesson from Iran. Whatever they are, they are determined. Heavens will not fall if America gets annoyed with us. In fact all our troubles will come to an end."
Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has taken a softer tone, assuring Pakistan will continue its efforts to fight terror.
But he says blaming his country for the unrest in Afghanistan is not the way to achieve peace.
"We believe that countries in this region have to come together to bring peace to Afghanistan, because terrorists are not the enemies of Pakistan or any other country only. They are the enemies of everyone. We cannot put an end to terrorism by pointing fingers at one another. In order to defeat terrorism, we need to forge unity, we need cooperation. And for this purpose Pakistan will continue to play its role internationally, as well as locally."
