Reconciliatory overtures: US insists civilian aid to Pakistan not being cut
Military says Kayani did not discuss Nato supply routes with Isaf commander.
In an attempt to play down the aid freeze proposals, the Obama administration clarified that civilian aid to Pakistan is not being cut and the matter of freezing defense aid to Pakistan is still in the Congress.
US State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland, during a press briefing in Washington said: “We have not cut $700 million in aid to Pakistan.” She added that the defense authorisation bill is currently moving in the Congress “which would require the Department of Defense to continue providing a strategy on how we will use certain military assistance and measure its progress, in particular on progress that we are making with Pakistan on the IED issue.”
US lawmakers agreed to freeze $700 million in aid to Pakistan in a punitive measure that aims to stop the spread of improvised-explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan, raw material for which, US lawmakers say, is smuggled from Pakistan.
“So if – obviously, if this legislation becomes law, we’ll work with the government of Pakistan on how we can fulfill the requirements,” added Nuland.
She refused to comment on the envoys conference held in Pakistan to redraw key pacts with the US, but said: “It’s very important for the United States and Pakistan to continue to work together.”
Meanwhile, the military’s spokesperson issued a clarification on Wednesday, saying that the Pakistani army chief did not discuss resumption of Nato supply routes with his Isaf counterpart.
A statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations, military’s media wing, said that “during a telephonic conversation between General John Allen and General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on 12 December 2011, the issue of reopening up of NATO supply route never came under discussion, as has been highlighted in the statements of Commander Isaf.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2011.
US State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland, during a press briefing in Washington said: “We have not cut $700 million in aid to Pakistan.” She added that the defense authorisation bill is currently moving in the Congress “which would require the Department of Defense to continue providing a strategy on how we will use certain military assistance and measure its progress, in particular on progress that we are making with Pakistan on the IED issue.”
US lawmakers agreed to freeze $700 million in aid to Pakistan in a punitive measure that aims to stop the spread of improvised-explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan, raw material for which, US lawmakers say, is smuggled from Pakistan.
“So if – obviously, if this legislation becomes law, we’ll work with the government of Pakistan on how we can fulfill the requirements,” added Nuland.
She refused to comment on the envoys conference held in Pakistan to redraw key pacts with the US, but said: “It’s very important for the United States and Pakistan to continue to work together.”
Meanwhile, the military’s spokesperson issued a clarification on Wednesday, saying that the Pakistani army chief did not discuss resumption of Nato supply routes with his Isaf counterpart.
A statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations, military’s media wing, said that “during a telephonic conversation between General John Allen and General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on 12 December 2011, the issue of reopening up of NATO supply route never came under discussion, as has been highlighted in the statements of Commander Isaf.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2011.