US officials have confirmed that, like other countries, US aid to Pakistan has been temporarily suspended, resulting in the halt of several key development projects.
Recently, the US Department of State directed all diplomatic and consular missions to suspend foreign aid programs immediately. This measure is initially for 90 days and applies to aid for countries such as Ukraine, Taiwan, Jordan, and others.
According to US officials, all aid programs for Pakistan have been suspended pending a reassessment, Express News reported.
As a result of this decision, several sectors have been affected.
The US directive has suspended the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation projects and closed five important energy sector projects.
The US State Department's instructions also affected four economic growth-related programs in Pakistan, while five agricultural development projects have had their aid stopped.
Furthermore, funding for democracy, human rights, and governance-related programs has been temporarily halted, and four education and four health projects have also been suspended. Additionally, 11 governance-related projects have been impacted by this US decision.
US officials stated that this decision is temporary, and after reassessing all aid programs, the future of these projects will be decided.
Trump signed an executive order shortly after taking office for his second term on January 20, directing all federal agencies to implement a 90-day pause on foreign development assistance and to review existing programs.
The order reads, “It is the policy of the United States that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.”
Shortly after, the US State Department issued a memo announcing the suspension of nearly all new funding for foreign aid programs, with exceptions made for the country’s key Middle Eastern allies, Israel and Egypt.
The order also allowed for an exemption for emergency food assistance and related expenses.
In a statement on Sunday, the department defended the measures, quoting President Trump: “President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people.”
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