Obama proposes $3.1b for Pakistan in 2012 budget

Administration's Pakistan spending broken into 'enduring core part' and the Overseas Contingency Operations.

WASHINGTON: The Obama administration has proposed $3.1 billion in the 2012 budget for US economic and security assistance and diplomatic operations in Pakistan, said a senior American official on Tuesday.

The administration's spending for Pakistan is broken into two parts, the "enduring core part" - meaning long-term  assistance programs - and the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), an administration official said at a briefing on President Barack Obama's budget proposals for the fiscal year 2012, beginning October 1, 2011.

As part of the long-term economic and security assistance, President Obama is seeking $1.9 billion in the year 2012. The amount will also cover the cost of American aid operations and diplomatic presence.

Of the $1.9 billion, around $1.5 billion is annual money to be allocated under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman five-year aid measure.

It also includes $350 million in foreign military financing programs, which is part of the five-year agreement between the two countries.

Under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman initiative, the US funds a number of programs including development of democracy and wide-ranging infrastructure projects to assist Pakistan's economic progress.

On the OCO side of the budget, the administration has proposed $1.2 billion, out of which $146 million is for operational expenditure.

Under the OCO, $1.1 billion is to be devoted to the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund (PCCF). The PCCF seeks to train Pakistani forces for a more effective fight against insurgents along the country's western border with Afghanistan.