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New Year's gift: Obama signs bill freezing aid to Pakistan
Obama signs controversial defence bill which places sanctions on Iran's central bank as well.
Obama says that he does not agree with all parts of the bill. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
HONOLULU: President Barack Obama signed a sweeping US defense funding bill on Saturday which includes new sanctions on financial institutions dealing with Iran’s central bank, and curtailing up to $850 million in aid to Pakistan. The bill was signed despite concerns about sections that expand the US military’s authority over terrorism suspects and limit his powers in foreign affairs.
The massive defense bill Congress passed on earlier in December freezes 60 per cent of the $850 million aid, or $510 million, until the US defense secretary provides lawmakers with assurances that Pakistan is working to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs). US lawmakers say that many Afghan bombs that kill US troops are made with fertiliser smuggled by militants across the border from Pakistan into Afghanistan.
“The fact that I support this bill as a whole does not mean I agree with everything in it,” Obama said in a statement, citing limits on transferring detainees from the US base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and requirements he notify Congress before sharing some defense missile information with Russia as problematic.
The bill, approved by Congress last week after its language was revised, aims with its Iran sanctions to reduce Tehran’s oil revenues but gives the US president powers to waive penalties as required. Senior US officials said Washington was engaging with its foreign partners to ensure the sanctions can work without harming global energy markets, and stressed the US strategy for engaging with Iran was unchanged by the bill.
The bill may also prove problematic for Pakistan in ways other than providing assurances of concrete steps to counter the manufacture of IEDs. The sanctions placed on dealing with Iran’s central banks may weigh on Pakistan’s plans for the Iran-Pakistan pipeline which aims to provide gas to Pakistan.
Pakistan needs the gas supplies from Iran to augment its own gas reserves which have been shrinking fast, leading to widespread gas shortages affecting its industry and daily life.
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Reader Comments (108)
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It seems the Americans are learning even if the POTUS is a bit slow.
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Pakistan should contact chinese banks to finance…
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Thus proven…US was just exploiting Pakistan…it never was a friend or an ally…
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Obama is definitely USA’s Gorbachev who is facilitating the decline of an another shot at imperialism.
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Now please do not start begging unless we deliver what USA wants. The whole international community is dependent on each other and there is no free lunch. Some bad days ahead but our leaders must not make irrational decisions on sentiments but on reasoning and logic. We must change especially our military, just opposite what we have been doing and never think of short cuts in relationships. USA provided us all the opportunities in the world in exchange for controlling the terrorism and we blew it away with intrigues and poisoned minds. God bless Pakistan and keep it at least what it is.
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Happy New Year !!!
Thank you Mr.President. It is high time for both of us to go our own ways.
Sincerely
All Pakistanis
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Ready to die hungry?Recommend
It spoiled my New year party. So sad.
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Pakistan has shown itself to be resilient in the face of sanctions and similar past actions. In the final analysis, every nation, including Pakistan needs to look after its own interests. Now hopefully, Pakistan can rework the US Pakistan relationship into something which is in Pakistan’s best interests. After all Musharraf sold away the nation’s rights and tariffs for transporting foreign goods for nothing compared to what NATO pays to Russia and Central Asian nations. Pakistan does not need military aid from the US if it means destabilizing the nation. After all the West will pull out again like they did when Pakistan defeated the Soviets. Again Pakistan will be cleaning up the mess.
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Anything that reduces the stranglehold of the establishment on Pakistan, its people and resources, is welcome.
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Thanks for geting Pakistan Rid of the Stupid US AID that kill my Innocent Countrymen in return
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You should not bite the hand that feeds you.
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hahahah Happy New Year Pakistan.
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Last weeks news — restrictions on Pakistan aid are conditioned on Pakistan taking steps to control materials used in making IED’s something that should be no big deal and something that any other country would do without being coerced.
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Thank you so much, at-least now we wont have to hear about all the ‘huge’ aid ure giving us & how we’re just being so thankless
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Reduction in cursed aid? what a fantastic start to new year for Pakistan.
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Punjab government anyway
refuses to accept US aid.
Aid ruins the country’s discipline
and makes it avoid making the reforms
it must make, leave alone the debate on
conditionalities
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It seems the Americans are becoming wiser. It also appears that this POTUS is still a bit slow.
There was no controversy over sanctions on Iran or the suspension of military aide to PAK. The controversy was over the attempts of the US Congress to limit the powers of the Office of Presidency to conduct foreign policy.
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Thank yOu O(b)ama… :)
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This the best thing for pakistan.. keep ur distance from the states. There is an old saying :beware greeks bearing gifts:
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A good beginning.
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so what?
=/
economy will crumble?
govt. may fall?
army PAF navy will be useless?
schools will stop teaching?
hospitals will stop working?
workers would be fired?
electricity will have a dead end?
gas will stop coming out of reserves?
nothing will happen. it is just the mind game by some quarters(amriki “pithoo”) who force Pakistanis to believe that no USAID means no Pakistan..
duh
get outta it..
nothing happened in 1998…nothing will happen NOW!
if govt collects tax properly it can have an extra $6billion..! but again its the govt. not puppets im talking about.
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Thank you…. It will help Pakistan prosper as our leaders would have to dig deep to explore coal and other minerals in Pakistan.
This is a gift and I am saying it keeping sarcasm aside.
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America the ‘champion of democry’ doesn’t really like when Pakistan shows what the people of Pakistan wants from their corrupt and incompetent government. USA gives aid to countires with dictatorships or US puppet governments.
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Thank you, Obama; Pakistan needs to overcome aid dependence. On a side note, please stop cribbing about the Pakistan-Afghanistan border until you, with all your advanced technology, have found a fix for the Mexico-USA border. Your border issue doesn’t even involve caves and mountains, or an ethnic group on both sides that has never accepted a line that was drawn by an ignorant colonial administrator.
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Thanks Obama
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So, Iran is being slowly lumped along with Pakistan. Why not form a strategic alliance with Tehran? Oh, I forgot, the Wahhabi-aligned jihadis will ratchet up their bombing campaigns throughout Pakistan.
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Best thing that ever happened..Hope the slaves do not start clamouring..Maashter! Have mercy on us.
Its time we aligned ourselves with the enemies of US OPENLY..and recognize Iran as the leader recognized by so many nations already.
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Blessing in disguise.
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Excellento!!!!!!!!!!!
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Well if this aid is given as a bribe.,,. This should not been there to start with..
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**HAPPY NEW YEAR**
Recommend*to all Dear*
Brothers & Sisters
This is just for starters, let’s wait and see what’s on menu for main course and desserts !!!
Another nail in the coffin on the special relationship.
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Enough is enough. We are sick of aid, we need trade Mr Obama! Insh’Allah 2012 will bring peace, prosperity, unity and blessings to this bravest nation of planet.
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Congratulations. This is freedom from Pakistanis have been asking for.
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thank you usa!
Zardari wont be haappyRecommend
What is amazing is how our leaders continue to GIVE AWAY hundreds of billions of dollars every January 1st when the nation is still FULLY 20 Trillion dollars in debt from the last wars started by George Dumblya Bush. There MUST be a law that says ZERO Foreign Aid and ZERO Military aid may be given away unless the Nation is SOLVENT FIRST.
We must demand that the American people be allowed to raise a national vote on issues such as this and pass them with citizen votes and Bypass Washington on matters of serious importance such as this.
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It’s a good news for ordinary Pakistanis
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happy new yrs ti u as well obama n can u sign another bill taking all the cia out as wellRecommend
Why tribune is fueling anti american sentiment? FYI its only going to hurt Pakistan not anyone else.
Be rational please and avoid these masala headlines.
Pakistan Zindabad
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Thank u Obama….U have done a good job….We need this, so that we can make reforms in Pakistan and should stop relying on aid…
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For god sake stop fueling anti american sentiment in Pakistanas it only going to hurt Pakistan.
Be rational please and please avoid from these masala headlines
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Chances for him getting another Nobel Prize, this time for Economics are getting high.
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wht more could we have asked for! thank you President!
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IT would appear you do not want comments on this article.
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There was no gain for Pakistan helping America in their war OF terror.
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Thankyou Obama
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For starters Pakistan should assess and claim the fee for allowing transit facility to NATO cargo from the date the first container or truck left the port a Karachi for its destination in Afghanistan. That should offset the amount President (Mu)Barack Hussein has now withheld. In fact, Pakistan may tell him what air traffic controllers leader had said to President Reagan: “Shove it Mr. President.”
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well done Obama…… first BIG favor you could do us……
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America owes Pakistan, 2.5 billion dollars in CSF and Rent
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Happy as we could ever be. This is just one more string, cut loose. One more step to economic independence.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR to all Pakistani brothers
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So, clearly they do not want Pakistan to extend their relationship with Iran in any way. Now that! is our way to go…
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A decision made in Jerusalem not Washington… Part of the “Black cap” conspiracy lead by a black man perhaps
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60% only there should e total freeze and economic sanctions also. Pakistanis think they can urvive on their own so let’s give them an opportunity to taste HW life would be if all their obscurantist ideas were implemented
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The US taxpayers are not going to give any more military aid to Pakistan until the safe haven of OBL in an army base is openly explained and discussed like the Memogate. How could the taxpayers give their hard earned money to people who have shown no remorse for harboring the worst terrorists in the army bases? Looks like the days of keeping a gag order on the surrender of East Pakistan are long gone, in the days of information technology. There is still time to tell the truth and come clean. Keeping mum and quiet is not going to fool the world.
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Congratulations. Many Pakistani’s wish has been fulfilled.
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There was no controversy over sanctions on Iran or the suspension of military aide to PAK. The controversy was over the attempts of the US Congress to limit the powers of the Office of Presidency to conduct foreign policy.
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Thank you very much and a very happy new year to you Mr. Obama.
Pakistan’s new year resolution is to go speedily ahead with the Iran Pakistan Gas Pipeline and rely unimportantly on your aid (hopefully).
The signing of the defense spending bill will be taken as a boon by our PPP government planners and rely on taxation from untaxed sectors to fulfill our fiscal requirements.
Salams to Pakistan
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Reuters didn’t apply that headline to their news article – that bit of sensationalism was inappropriately added by ET. This is the same bill the was the subject of various articles in the past – the only item in the bill which directly affects Pakistan requires you to make some attempt at controlling the material which is being used to create IED’s – something that most countries would do even if they were not receiving aid.
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@Waseem:
Send us a bill and we’ll burn it in a celebration like you do the US flag. That’s acceptable, right?
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Time to start growing grass. ZAB asked Pakistanis to be willing to eat grass, as long as Pakistan had “nuclear weapons”. No more free ride, nothing but a big hole in the begging bowl, and the all weather friends do not want to deal with a decrepit nation that has no money to buy their goods.
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We get our house in order and 20times of this USD850mn would just make its way here in investments. But as the saying goes “Once a bEggar, always a beggar”Recommend
*i like thz decision…….now we will do every thing indepedentely…….HAPPY NEW YEAR TO MY ALL PAKISTANI BROTHERS .. *
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thank god, now its time to get independent.
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I would call it a ‘blessing in disguise’ provided that Imran gets in power.
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Pakistan should have learned its lesson by now . . . .It gets involved in fighting a war that is not in its interest and right at the time when it has shattered, exhausted and drained its resources, damaged its people and destroyed their cities . . .the rug gets pulled from under it. This scenario has has been repeated before too. Will they ever learn . . .and start developing and investing in their own resources which is what they should have been concentrating on rather than fighting a war which they had no business in. Whether the civillian govt likes it or not, the military should be heavily involved in gaurding cities and its borders so there would no chance of infiltration and security risks and hence no need of war. The civillian govt should not interfere with the military’s judgement and reasoning.
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Pakistan should recall all Pakistanis in US. Without them the US will collapse
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Pakistan should review relations with USA how it exploit Pakistan … take in positive manner chance to stands on its own through trade strategies with countries like China, Russia etcRecommend
“pakistan should contact chinese banks to finance…” Ali Tanoli
dear ali sab, after china than who??????? how long you will run a country on loans/aids? when are you going to think standing on your own foot? give up terrorism as state policy & start a new era in 2012 of development. may god bless pakistan
a true indian……..
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Like always, A good gift from our loyal friends. The Americans.
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OnlyMilitary AID is being stopped … USA is continuing to be pakistan’s sugar daddy (Japan, worldbank, EU trade consessions — ever wonder why these other USA clients have increased aid to pak?)
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Happy New Year…
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It may seem that it’s America against Pakistan, there is actually more to this!
US aid to PK is tied to fight against Terrorism. If we do not perform, they don’t give us their much needed and little appreciated money. Very basic economics!!
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@Barack Obama:
Thanks. We would definetly loose some weight when ur fat filled aid cuts off!
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Raymond Davis, OBL removal (a US creation from the start), and the 24 dead soldiers, were all part of the same chain..all leading up to freezing the flow of “legalized” slush funds. This is a great day for Pakistani nation that our government has no choice but to stop being a subservient to the their US masters,
Why should be Pakistan held responsible for cleaning up IEDs in Afghanistan ? Why did we ever sign up to this ridiculous ask ? Just because a fertilizer bag comes from Pakistan is not reason good enough. I think US/Afghans should tighten border controls to stop illegal flow of goods into that land and Pakistan should further regulate sale of such products as part of good governance, thats it. Do we hold them responsible for sending drugs and weapons into our country ? Maybe we should ask them to clean that mess up here.
Trade not aid is the slogan we need to follow and make friends around the globe. We should be certain of one thing, US will never remove our trade restrictions going forward. All the reason for us to start acting more intelligently.
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Though it is very flattering to believe that Pakistan is at the centre of the universe, the reality is somewhat different.
The sanctions on the Iranian central bank would mean that Iran will not be able to receive any payment from any sources for its oil exports. And Iran will also not be able to pay for its imports.
If Iran oil goes out of the global markets, all big oil consumers including China and India will be adversely affected. China which has massive exports to Iran would also lose an important market.
Global oil prices are likely to go north, putting pressure on an unstable economy.
In all this, Pakistan is only incidental.
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@Suleman:
How can you say it’s not in Pakistan’s interest when the other option was to be declared an enemy? Even to this day you’ve been safeguarded by that agreement as it’s quite obvious by now your infestation and acceptance/support outranks that of Afghanistan when it all started. Nobody but a Pakistani themselves would deny that it would be over by now if it wasn’t for Pakistan and the acknowledgment of its borders or anything else an enemy would not have been afforded.
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very good!
giving us damages worth $60 Billion and stopping our aid after just paying $20b back.. ( and that too, in disgraceful installments! )
i feel happy NOT because some president refused to pay us our RIGHT, but for now that we clearly know what these western politicians are made of…
at least now, we clearly have a way to progress on our OWN MONEY!
Pakistan MUST try of exporting mode and think of adapting any other currency as its trade medium.
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@Barack Obama:
kitchen of ASIA, is what Pakistan is known as.
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@Cautious:
IED is an excuse, as a matter of fact American Government is willing to weaken Pakistan’s Economy and further by banning production of Fertilisers which is major support to AGRICULTURE in Pakistan
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We raise the begging bowl as long as US giving aid, but now it’s not forthcoming, we start talking about reforms, sovereignty, self respect etc.etc. We also favour becoming a bonded labour to China. Half of the population will die by the time the reforms yield results. What we will do if US makes friendship with China and Iran shortly.
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A fresh beginning for Pakistan.
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The guardian angel of Pakistan Army is denying military aid for first time in 60 years. It is time for the civilian to be brave & control the Military.
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yeyy :-) thank God for that. now lets work on relationship with dignity. we owe amreeka nothing.
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GOOD RIDDANCE….Pakistan should grab the opportunity and make efforts to use their resources.They will now be without any undue pressure from US and its sinister designs.
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@ Imran Mohammad
no light for 18 hours, no gas , price hike… is this what US aid helped for? What could be worst than this?
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@moona
Did not get your point. US aid was not helping with anything anyways, we have all the problems which you mentioned despite US aid. Stopping of the aid may nudge us to look inwards and find home-grown solutions for our problems, like much needed tax reforms and curb corruption both of which I don’t expect from PPP government. Hell will freeze if PPP will do it !!
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@PakPower: America was Pakistan’s friend and ally. It’s just not a fool.
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@Bilal:
EXPRESS TRIBUNE is a devil in disguise.
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good decision by america. and to pakistanis who feel the world or america owes them something – high time you start standing on your own feet and take responsibility to fill your own stomachs.
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I am sure that the POTUS is pleased by the support this decision is getting from PAK.
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party’s winding down for PPP & alliance
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It is high time for both of us to go our own ways.
and We should trust on our own resources… so good byeeee USA
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Instead of showing happiness on this news people in Pakistan ask questions about their ruling elite who carry burkins and pay thousand rupees in tax. That’s where the real problem is. As far as us aid is concerned as a sovereign country you always have the option to refuse rather than wait for US to cut it.
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@Raj: Time to start growing grass.
So, What’s your problem with all of this? Anybody asked your opinion? See..? This is the Problem you all trolls are having that poke your nose where you are not welcome. Pakistanis eat grass or anything else, is none of your problem. You better concentrate on your 800 Millions Poor who are in the worst economical conditions. Are you blind that you can not see them. As far as the Nuclear is concerned, They have it specially for you with love so that you dont do any more adventures in the region. In that ZAB was right. I am sure you won’t dare any such adventure anywhere in the region without assessing the catestrophy it will bring for you. It’s the best gift ZAB could give for our best friend , India.Recommend
2012 prediction: Due to decline in US funding, commenting by liberals on ET and twitter will also decline in 2012.
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Time to also shut down NATO air corridor over Pakistan.
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@MarkH:
What about the hard earned reward of $25 million for the capture / killing of OBL? At least this should be paid.
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@Maria:
Now you have the chance of lifetime to be resilient than ever before. ENJOY!
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Taxes will increase.
Alliance with Iran will not only solve our fuel shortages but will also provide the much needed alternate to the “aid”.
And guess what?
We won’t be begging this time.
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doesnt matter, Pakistan should charge $2000 per truck crossing Pakistani roads to enter Afghanistan to resupply US troops. There are 45000 containers that unload at Karachi every year, multiply that by $2000 and there, you get money without needing any aid.
Start charging US aircraft overflying Pakistan at the rate of $2500 per crossing and there are over 300 overflights a day, multiply that by 365 days and you get the answer.
We dont need aid, we need to bill the Americans what they would bill us if we were using their space. Just like PIA is charged in the US.
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No body will die hungry. getting off american aid entirely will be the best thing for Pakistan. all the strings that are attached to the aid have led to nothing but corrupt politicians getting rich and drone attacks that have left many thousand innocent people killed and displaced. Pakistan needs to be forced into tapping into its own resources and talent pool without constantly depending on any other country to bail it out. So frankly, this is great news! @Barack Obama:
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@naive:
So you say that “Pakistan should recall all Pakistanis in US. Without them the US will collapse”! WOW, US should kick out all Pakistanis who have overstayed their visas!
Can’t wait to see how Pakistan survives if “remittances” back home all dry up!
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Now to see what 2012 will bring. So far, despite all of Pakistan’s troubles, the economy managed to avoid freefall – thanks mainly to the US and IMF money. Now we will have to see how the the economy keeps its head above water.
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good
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Thank you USA and Obama for a New Year Gift to Pakistan, espacially the Present Govenment of Pakistan, Their wallets are going to be less heavier and extra expenticurs are going to be shrank. Thank you Pakistan for every-thing that we did to Obey USA. God Bless you all and the Rest of the World. Pakistan is in Great Position as its Always been Since Independence. God Bless the Peoples of Pakistan. God help those who help them selvesRecommend
not a wise move,it would be harmful for both
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