Congressional Committee Seeks Conditions on US Aid to Pak
A powerful Congressional committee today moved to place conditions on the release of US aid to Pakistan to push Islamabad into taking action against the Haqqani network.
Washington, May 7 (PTI) A powerful Congressional committee today moved to place conditions on the release of US aid to Pakistan to push Islamabad into taking action against the Haqqani network.
Releasing the text of its version of the national defence authorisation (NDAA) bill, the House Armed Services Committee said that USD 350 million of the USD 700 million proposed financial assistance to Pakistan may not be released till the defence secretary certifies to Congress that the country has taken actions against the Haqqani network militants.
According to the NDAA text running into more than 700 pages, it authorises USD 700 million in coalition support funds (CSF) to Pakistan.
“Of that amount, not more than USD 350.0 million may be provided until the Secretary of Defence certified that Pakistan is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani network,” it said.
The committee also authorised the president's budget request of USD 900 million for fiscal year 2019 for CSF payments.
Since January, the Trump administration has suspended its security assistance to Pakistan alleging that Islamabad has not been taking satisfactory actions against terrorist safe havens inside the country.
The aid suspended has not be relocated yet but has been kept aside for Pakistan to be used later if and when it starts taking actions against terrorists.
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