The leaders of a U.S Senate negotiating panel have agreed to freeze
$700 million US aid to Pakistan until it offers to help in the fight
against improvised explosive devices in the region, exerting more
pressure on a troubled strategic ally.
According to British news agency, Pakistan is one of the largest recipients of U.S. foreign aid, and the cutback announced is only a small proportion of the billions in civil and military assistance it gets a year.
The report said that home-made bombs or improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are among militants most effective weapons against U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan as they struggle to fight a resurgent Taliban insurgency.
Many are made using ammonium nitrate, a common fertilizer shipped across the border from Pakistan. The freeze on U.S. aid was agreed as part of a defense bill that is expected to be passed this week, the report added.
The United States wants “assurances that Pakistan is countering
improvised explosive devices in their country that are targeting our
coalition forces”, Representative Howard McKeon, a House Republican,
told reporters.
The United States has allocated some $20 billion in security and economic aid to Pakistan since 2001, much of it in the form of reimbursements for assistance in fighting militants. But U.S. lawmakers have expressed increasing frustration with Pakistan s efforts in the war.
There have been numerous proposals to make U.S. aid to Pakistan conditional on more cooperation in fighting militants such as the Haqqani network Washington believes operate out of Pakistan and battle U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
It is expected that the proposal to freezing of US aid to Pakistan would be approved in the current week. SANA
The United States has allocated some $20 billion in security and economic aid to Pakistan since 2001, much of it in the form of reimbursements for assistance in fighting militants. But U.S. lawmakers have expressed increasing frustration with Pakistan s efforts in the war.
There have been numerous proposals to make U.S. aid to Pakistan conditional on more cooperation in fighting militants such as the Haqqani network Washington believes operate out of Pakistan and battle U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
It is expected that the proposal to freezing of US aid to Pakistan would be approved in the current week. SANA
