London : Britain has defended its £350 million a year aid program to Pakistan as questions were raised in the House of Commons over why British taxpayers were giving so much money when Osama bin Laden found a safe haven there for so long.
Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader, insisted the authorities in Islamabad must have known that the terror chief had been living in Pakistan since he was just yards from the national military college.
“Given this, why does UK Government continue to give Pakistan £350m a year in foreign aid? Pakistan isordering submarines and 36 fighter aircraft from China. I can’t see why a country which harbours terrorists needs financial aid from the UK,” he said.
Philip Davies, the Conservative backbencher, also questioned why Britain was giving money to Pakistan security forces when there were suspicions they knew of bin Laden’s whereabouts. “It is not a country we should be giving money to,” he said.
In year 2009/10 UK aid to Pakistan totalled £140 million but by 2015 this could more than double to £446 million, making it the largest recipient of British aid.
However there are strings attached on tackling corruption and broadening the nation’s tax base. Half of the planned aid is earmarked for education, which over the next four years could top £650 million.
Andrew Mitchell, UK International Development Secretary, said: “British aid to Pakistan is not just aid from Britain but also aid for Britain. It is in Britain’s interest to tackle the root causes of extremism such as poverty, inequality and lack of education." PPI
