US House subcommittee mulls making aid for Pakistan subject to conditions
According to the draft of the fiscal year 2013 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, the House subcommittee has proposed that no assistance under the Economic Support Fund, International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement, Foreign Military Financing Program and the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund be released until the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton certifies such to the committee.
The Government of Pakistan, according to the draft bill, must co-operate with the US in counterterrorism efforts against the Haqqani Network, al Qaeda, Quetta Shura Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and other domestic and foreign terrorist organisations.
Additionally, Pakistan must also end support of such groups and “prevent them from basing and operating in Pakistan for carrying out cross border attacks into neighboring countries.” The draft bill adds that the US Secretary of State must also certify that Pakistan is not supporting terrorist activities against US or coalition forces in Afghanistan.
In another stipulation, the certification requires that Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies are not “intervening extra-judicially into political and judicial processes in Pakistan.”
The draft bill, expected to be addressed in the subcommittee’s session on Wednesday, also calls for Pakistan to dismantle the IED networks, prevent proliferation of nuclear material, and give humanitarian organisations access to detainees, IDPs and those affected by the conflict.
The draft also calls for the Secretary of State will have to certify that Pakistan would issue visas in a timely manner to US visitors involved in counterterrorism or aid operations.
A press release on the subcommittee’s website says that the bill has slashed funding for the Global War on terror by $3 billion to $8.2 billion, which has reduced funding for programs in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Earlier on Monday, the chairman of the House Armed Services committee introduced a draft where he proposed making aid to Pakistan subject to reopening of the Nato supply routes, along with demonstrable cooperation and actions in other sectors.
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The Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund would not be released until Hilary Clinton approved of it. So, this aid is no charity, but with tight strings attached!
This aid is useless to begin with as the conditions for it's requirement will lead to perpetual civil war and breakup of Pakistan. Thanks, but no thanks.
I believe PAK would call this a reset of relations....
Preparations are on for a full fledged ban by 2014. This is just trailer of what is coming when troops withdrawal is complete and Pakistan has no relevance at all.
Today's internet edition of this very newspaper carries another story titled "Power sector dues: Govt defaults on sovereign guarantees". The report says that Pakistan has defaulted on its sovereign guarantees for the first time in her history and yet here comment after the comment is challenging the US to stop aid to Pakistan. This is nothing but a mindless jingoism. http://tribune.com.pk/story/376152/power-sector-dues-govt-defaults-on-sovereign-guarantees/
Pakistan Should not support the America's War against Terrorism which brought to Pakistan on a worst situation. In this regard, we have to follow the policy of Imran Khan.
time has come pakistan will have to give a certifcate about eliminating every terror group before it gets aid
As a citizen of Pakistan and this is for all concerned i.e. The PEOPLE, The government, Security Agencies, Financial institutions, and the Business Communities . We should look for Financial solutions inside our own country which I believe is very rich in God given raw materials resources rather than expect the US or for that matter any other country to help us is getting out of the messy situation this government and corrupt politicians have put us into. The solutions are in one’s attitude towards finding them inside our own country and them implementing them honestly on the largest scale possible on war footing. This is the actual Jihad which we should do which our religion also teaches us.
As the 7th most powerful nation in the world, we should be giving aid!
Shabash ! When citizens feel the country can do without aid what is all the fuss about. All will eat Grass but Ghairat can never be compromised.
What took us so long. No one is"entitled" to taxpayer money. Certainly not people working actively against our interest. Our children are being killed in Afghanistan and anyone with a handprint on that is culpable.
we want aid. stop USA aid terrorism
Thank u USA.
Please do that. USAID projects have done nothing save lined a few thousand pockets....
I cannot find this news anywhere else on the internet except on websites linked to Pak. Who are you trying to kid?
It looks many in our system are prepared to accept unnatural death and total uncontrolled anarchy but are least prepared to address deep concerns of international community. All state pillars are helping each other in this destruction. Right now it seems as if our superior judiciary, specially LHC and SC is playing the role of FRONT-MAN.......they are least bothered about the cases of known LASHKARs.
USA is right
I think the visa part is new. Otherwise certification by secretary of state that progress is being made against Al Qaeda, Haqqanis, Afghan Taliban, LeT was necessary for security aid (not civilian aid) there even in Kerry Lugar bill which is currently the law.
This should have been done a long time back.
If resource rich Iran can be contained with US sanctions, a resource-less Pakistan definitely can.
Although these are not sanctions, I expect them to be in place by 2014.
Pakistan will then reverse sanction on the NATO forces. It will stop all aid to NATO and will tell the WB and IMF not to lend money to NATO countries.
Dear Uncle Sam,
Please pull away all aid so that we can learn a thing or two about standing on our own feet.
Signed, The Pakistani People
If this had been done 20 years ago, Pakistan would have been a different country. Rampant routing of aid to buying arms and siphoning off money by the rulers has led to the collapse of the economy. If the aid money had been supervised, the people would have benefited.
NO more AID for this nation lead by bunch of beggars, common Pakistani will never see any end result or benefit from this aid so ................ To the President of United States of America, please stop all aid to Pakistan immediately and help us stop the corruption immediately, it is time for Pakistan to learn to swim on its own or sink. All the aid that you give us always ends up in our corrupt Politian's bank accounts 10% at a time and sooner or later they will all leave us in order to go in SELF IMPOSE EXILE to either U.K or U.A.E. So please do not give us anything.
Be a nation we need nothing from you now and ever but yes you have to carry out your illegal support to our corrupt government and other black sheep. YOU will defeat everywhere in this world its FACT
No honey no money. No more free lunches after OBL’s presence in an army base. Only economic aid with full oversight. Absolutely no cash or military aid.
Within next 2 weeks Pakistan will allow NATO routes to open. It can no longer afford to play this silly diplomatic game.
It is about time the world tells Pakistan is told in no uncertain terms - either you are with the terrorists or you are against them. The choice you make will have appropriate repercussions.
So basically they want to control everything in Pakistan without having to invade it.
As they say, history repeats itself. This was expected as previously in 1989 stopped delivery of twenty-eight paid for F-16's, worth nearly $700 million to Pakistan under Larry Pressler sanctions. Not for nothing does India not order military weapon systems or nuclear power plants from the US. One never knows what may precipitate a breakdown in relations with the US. It has not even been a month since the signing of the Agreement in the Night in Kabul, and we are already being shown what is coming. If PM Gilani can show some of his stubbornness towards NATO as he has done on not writing a letter to the Swiss, then all will be well. Have faith in yourself and be not afraid says Baby, like Sultan Salahuddin and Beybars, who faced crusader onslaught yet victory was theirs.
Pakistan will start to progress the day we start refusing aid.
good one...time to call ISI's bluff.....
It's like a lottery now.
Well maybe, this has come sooner than expected, but bo doubt Pakistan must have known the sitting on the fence was not going to be bought by US for long ! Another nail in Pakistan's flawed policies, and wasting time ! The time may have come to consider economic future and any further assistance from IMF,WB etc, too seem bleak !
There is no free lunch in world and its time we learn it. I am surprised that after 10 years, making so much loss to ourselves, milking US taxpayers as much as possible for their dollars, we are still clueless what our strategy should be going forward, what do we really want in afghan, what do we want to do with our assets within borders, what should we do with other neighbors. We are just living in la la land, day dreaming while sinking deeper in a gloomy dark future.
Please do us a favour and stop the aid completely.
I knew it was coming! Lets see the how the "braves" brave this. To Political leaders: You talked the "talk" now walk the "walk". Unless "Uncle" treat you like you're supposed to be treated you won't correct your ways, would you? Stubbornness is futile. Don't run to "Auntie" for help now! She don't like you either. Anyway, are you going to correct yourself or want the full treatment?
We don't need your aid. Keep it to yourself. Any action that our government/army sanctions against such groups will be for the sole purpose of making Pakistan and the world a safer place. Just as the US claims to be doing (pun intended).
Pakistan is a proud nation. It does not need any military or cash aid. All monies by for poor civilian's needs and for basic infrastructure, education, healthcare, food, etc. In addition all aid must be fully supervised with a complete oversight.