Clinton announces major aid projects for Pakistan

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a raft of aid projects for Pakistan on Monday aimed at defusing anti-American sentiment and shoring up anti-terrorism efforts.

Clinton arrived in the capital on Sunday en route to a donor conference in Kabul, calling for "additional measures" by Pakistan to combat militant groups on its soil believed to be behind attacks on the United States and Afghanistan. Opening talks with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Clinton said she hoped the aid projects, focused on water and energy needs in the country, would "lay the foundations for an enduring partnership" with Pakistan.

The projects will include two energy dams, various drinking water and irrigation projects, as well as the building of health centres and schemes to improve agriculture and private sector income. They are part of a five-year $7.5 billion funding approved by the US Congress last year and a key part of the effort by the US administration to engage more fully with Pakistan, which has long seen Washington as interested only in securing its military cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

"We know that there is a perception held by too many Pakistanis that America's commitment to them begins and ends with security," said Clinton. "We have not done a good enough job of connecting our partnership with concrete improvements in the lives of Pakistanis. With this dialogue, we are working to change that."

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi hailed the "transformational phase" in relations between the two countries during his remarks ahead of talks with Clinton. "We're committed to work together to build a stable, broad-based and and enduring partnership.... The world has a vital stake in the success of our efforts," he said.

Updated from print edition (below)

Clinton to unveil aid package

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to announce a massive aid deal for Pakistan as Washington seeks to rebuild its ally’s economy in the aftermath of the war on terror, officials said on Monday.

The aid package – totalling 1.5 billion dollars – is likely to focus on the key energy and water sectors, an official said.

A government official, requesting anonymity, said the assistance would be used by different ministries to carry out different development schemes in the country.  “Clinton will be announcing [support for] 26 projects and the first strategic dialogue will be finalised during her current visit,” he said. The US  is expected to commit investment in Gomal Zam and Satt Para dams which will generate 17.4 megawattsof electricity.  The aid package includes dam projects in Balochistan.

Three hospitals will also be renovated and expanded in Karachi, Lahore and  Jacobabad. Two specific programmes are to be devoted to agriculture, one for the  training of farmers in dairy production, and the other to increase production  and export of mangoes. The projects will be part of a five-year, 7.5 billion-dollar aid package approved by US Congress last year.

During her two-day visit  Clinton  will hold consultations with government leaders on bilateral and regional issues and participate along with her delegation in a meeting of the bilateral ministerial-level strategic dialogue being held on Monday.

Strategic dialogue working group leaders from both governments will report out on the tangible outcomes of their work.  During the visit, Clinton will also directly engage Pakistani citizens and field their questions in a town hall meeting that will be covered by the press as well.

The strategic dialogue - launched in Washington in March this year - has 13 separate working groups that have met in Islamabad over the past  three months. These groups are focused on  agriculture, communications and public diplomacy, defence, economics and finance, education, energy, health, law enforcement and counterterrorism, market access, science and technology, security, strategic stability and nonproliferation, water and women’s empowerment.

Clinton calls on Zardari

On Sunday, President Asif Ali Zardari called for focused and result-oriented strategic dialogue between Washington and Islamabad following his meeting with the US secretary of state.

At the same time, the president said, issues relating to Pakistan’s energy needs were most important and needed to be dealt with urgently. In response, Clinton assured Pakistan of additional US support in addressing issues in energy, water and agriculture on a priority basis in the ongoing strategic dialogue on Sunday.

“It is reassuring that the long-term political and strategic partnership of our two countries was, as it had to be, based on mutual interest, common values and shared goals,” the president said. “A durable and long lasting relationship must also be based on respect for democracy and sovereignty and a joint commitment to fight the forces of extremism and militancy,” he said.

About the drone attacks on Pakistani territory, the president said that it undermined the national consensus against the war on militancy and reiterated Pakistan’s call for transfer of drone technology to the country for use against militants.

Trade agreement

Clinton met Afghan Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal on her arrival at Chaklala air base in Rawalpindi on Sunday, it is reliably learnt.

While talking to the minister, she said the US was committed to defeating the terrorists and the enemies of peace and prosperity in Afghanistan in an effort to  ensure prosperity for Afghanistan.  Sources said that the minister was on his way to Afghanistan when he met Clinton after attending a meeting on Pak-Afghan transit trade. Source said that the minister briefed Clinton about the trade agreement between the two countries.

The trade agreement was signed at the Prime Minister House later in the evening.  Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and the US secretary of state also attend the  signing ceremony.

An official requesting anonymity told The Express Tribune that Clinton while interacting with the minister said that the US was trying its best to end the insurgency and that rehabilitation was also among its priorities.  “People of Afghanistan have to play their role to abolish the menace strengthening the hands of their government,” he quoted Clinton as saying.  She said the agreement would bring Pakistan and Afghanistan closer and would help to enhance their ties in other sectors.

Additional steps

Just after her arrival in Pakistan, Clinton told the BBC in an interview that Pakistan outght  to take “additional steps” to counter terrorism. “There are still additional steps that we are asking and expecting the Pakistanis to take,” she told the corporation. Clinton noted that Washington and Islamabad had “increased our cooperation, deepened our relationship, when it comes to fighting terrorism”.

“But there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that should an attack against the United States be traced to a Pakistani it would have a very devastating impact on our relationship,” she added.  (With input from the news wires)

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2010.