WASHINGTON: The White House on Saturday came down heavily on Pakistan for the release of its state-coddled Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Hafiz Saeed , warning that there will be "repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistan's global reputation" if he is not immediately re-arrested and prosecuted.

In an extraordinarily strong statement on the subject, the White House just stopped short of calling Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism , saying the country's failure to prosecute or charge Saeed, "sends a deeply troubling message about Pakistan's commitment to combatting international terrorism and belies Pakistani claims that it will not provide sanctuary for terrorists on its soil."

It also called Saeed a "notorious terrorist" and pointed out that "a clear international consensus" exists regarding Saeed's culpability - he was designated by the United Nations under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008 and the Department of the Treasury has designated him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

"As President Donald Trump 's South Asia policy makes clear, the United States seeks a constructive relationship with Pakistan, but expects decisive action against militant and terrorist groups on Pakistani soil that are a threat to the region. The release of Saeed is a step in the wrong direction. The Pakistani government now has an opportunity to demonstrate its seriousness in confronting all forms of terrorism, without distinction, by arresting and charging Hafiz Saeed for his crimes," the White House said.

Coming on the heels of a similar, but less potent statement from the State Department , the White House missive suggests President Trump's bare-knuckled style had kicked into action, unconstrained by diplomatic niceties that tie down the Secretary of State. It now remains to be seen if Pakistan will fall in line, and what the White House will do if it does not.

The statement also distances the White House from the US Congress that last week changed a provision in a defense bill that would have required Islamabad to take steps to "significantly disrupt" the activities of both LeT and the Haqqani network . The new version of the bill restricted the requirement only to the Haqqani group, giving the impression Washington was not particularly concerned about LeT, Saeed, and their activities on the eastern front.

Previous administrations handled Pakistan with kid gloves despite compelling evidence of its use of terrorism and terrorist groups to further its policy objective, fearful that Washington did not have sufficient leverage to handle a state that threatens to go rogue when confronted. But by bluntly calling out Pakistan and its terrorist ward, the Trump White House has cornered Islamabad.

