New Year's gift: Obama signs bill freezing aid to Pakistan
The massive defense bill Congress passed on earlier in December freezes 60 per cent of the $850 million aid, or $510 million, until the US defense secretary provides lawmakers with assurances that Pakistan is working to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs). US lawmakers say that many Afghan bombs that kill US troops are made with fertiliser smuggled by militants across the border from Pakistan into Afghanistan.
"The fact that I support this bill as a whole does not mean I agree with everything in it," Obama said in a statement, citing limits on transferring detainees from the US base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and requirements he notify Congress before sharing some defense missile information with Russia as problematic.
The bill, approved by Congress last week after its language was revised, aims with its Iran sanctions to reduce Tehran's oil revenues but gives the US president powers to waive penalties as required. Senior US officials said Washington was engaging with its foreign partners to ensure the sanctions can work without harming global energy markets, and stressed the US strategy for engaging with Iran was unchanged by the bill.
The bill may also prove problematic for Pakistan in ways other than providing assurances of concrete steps to counter the manufacture of IEDs. The sanctions placed on dealing with Iran’s central banks may weigh on Pakistan’s plans for the Iran-Pakistan pipeline which aims to provide gas to Pakistan.
Pakistan needs the gas supplies from Iran to augment its own gas reserves which have been shrinking fast, leading to widespread gas shortages affecting its industry and daily life.
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not a wise move,it would be harmful for both
good
Now to see what 2012 will bring. So far, despite all of Pakistan's troubles, the economy managed to avoid freefall - thanks mainly to the US and IMF money. Now we will have to see how the the economy keeps its head above water.
@naive: So you say that "Pakistan should recall all Pakistanis in US. Without them the US will collapse"! WOW, US should kick out all Pakistanis who have overstayed their visas! Can't wait to see how Pakistan survives if "remittances" back home all dry up!
No body will die hungry. getting off american aid entirely will be the best thing for Pakistan. all the strings that are attached to the aid have led to nothing but corrupt politicians getting rich and drone attacks that have left many thousand innocent people killed and displaced. Pakistan needs to be forced into tapping into its own resources and talent pool without constantly depending on any other country to bail it out. So frankly, this is great news! @Barack Obama:
doesnt matter, Pakistan should charge $2000 per truck crossing Pakistani roads to enter Afghanistan to resupply US troops. There are 45000 containers that unload at Karachi every year, multiply that by $2000 and there, you get money without needing any aid.
Start charging US aircraft overflying Pakistan at the rate of $2500 per crossing and there are over 300 overflights a day, multiply that by 365 days and you get the answer.
We dont need aid, we need to bill the Americans what they would bill us if we were using their space. Just like PIA is charged in the US.
Taxes will increase. Alliance with Iran will not only solve our fuel shortages but will also provide the much needed alternate to the "aid". And guess what? We won't be begging this time.
@Maria:
Now you have the chance of lifetime to be resilient than ever before. ENJOY!
@MarkH: What about the hard earned reward of $25 million for the capture / killing of OBL? At least this should be paid.
Time to also shut down NATO air corridor over Pakistan.
2012 prediction: Due to decline in US funding, commenting by liberals on ET and twitter will also decline in 2012.
Instead of showing happiness on this news people in Pakistan ask questions about their ruling elite who carry burkins and pay thousand rupees in tax. That's where the real problem is. As far as us aid is concerned as a sovereign country you always have the option to refuse rather than wait for US to cut it.
It is high time for both of us to go our own ways.
and We should trust on our own resources... so good byeeee USA
party's winding down for PPP & alliance
I am sure that the POTUS is pleased by the support this decision is getting from PAK.
good decision by america. and to pakistanis who feel the world or america owes them something - high time you start standing on your own feet and take responsibility to fill your own stomachs.
@Bilal: EXPRESS TRIBUNE is a devil in disguise.
@PakPower: America was Pakistan's friend and ally. It's just not a fool.
@moona Did not get your point. US aid was not helping with anything anyways, we have all the problems which you mentioned despite US aid. Stopping of the aid may nudge us to look inwards and find home-grown solutions for our problems, like much needed tax reforms and curb corruption both of which I don't expect from PPP government. Hell will freeze if PPP will do it !!
@ Imran Mohammad
no light for 18 hours, no gas , price hike... is this what US aid helped for? What could be worst than this?
GOOD RIDDANCE....Pakistan should grab the opportunity and make efforts to use their resources.They will now be without any undue pressure from US and its sinister designs.
yeyy :-) thank God for that. now lets work on relationship with dignity. we owe amreeka nothing.
The guardian angel of Pakistan Army is denying military aid for first time in 60 years. It is time for the civilian to be brave & control the Military.
A fresh beginning for Pakistan.
We raise the begging bowl as long as US giving aid, but now it's not forthcoming, we start talking about reforms, sovereignty, self respect etc.etc. We also favour becoming a bonded labour to China. Half of the population will die by the time the reforms yield results. What we will do if US makes friendship with China and Iran shortly.
@Cautious: IED is an excuse, as a matter of fact American Government is willing to weaken Pakistan's Economy and further by banning production of Fertilisers which is major support to AGRICULTURE in Pakistan
@Barack Obama: kitchen of ASIA, is what Pakistan is known as.
very good! giving us damages worth $60 Billion and stopping our aid after just paying $20b back.. ( and that too, in disgraceful installments! ) i feel happy NOT because some president refused to pay us our RIGHT, but for now that we clearly know what these western politicians are made of...
at least now, we clearly have a way to progress on our OWN MONEY!
Pakistan MUST try of exporting mode and think of adapting any other currency as its trade medium.
@Suleman: How can you say it's not in Pakistan's interest when the other option was to be declared an enemy? Even to this day you've been safeguarded by that agreement as it's quite obvious by now your infestation and acceptance/support outranks that of Afghanistan when it all started. Nobody but a Pakistani themselves would deny that it would be over by now if it wasn't for Pakistan and the acknowledgment of its borders or anything else an enemy would not have been afforded.
Though it is very flattering to believe that Pakistan is at the centre of the universe, the reality is somewhat different.
The sanctions on the Iranian central bank would mean that Iran will not be able to receive any payment from any sources for its oil exports. And Iran will also not be able to pay for its imports.
If Iran oil goes out of the global markets, all big oil consumers including China and India will be adversely affected. China which has massive exports to Iran would also lose an important market.
Global oil prices are likely to go north, putting pressure on an unstable economy.
In all this, Pakistan is only incidental.
Raymond Davis, OBL removal (a US creation from the start), and the 24 dead soldiers, were all part of the same chain..all leading up to freezing the flow of "legalized" slush funds. This is a great day for Pakistani nation that our government has no choice but to stop being a subservient to the their US masters,
Why should be Pakistan held responsible for cleaning up IEDs in Afghanistan ? Why did we ever sign up to this ridiculous ask ? Just because a fertilizer bag comes from Pakistan is not reason good enough. I think US/Afghans should tighten border controls to stop illegal flow of goods into that land and Pakistan should further regulate sale of such products as part of good governance, thats it. Do we hold them responsible for sending drugs and weapons into our country ? Maybe we should ask them to clean that mess up here.
Trade not aid is the slogan we need to follow and make friends around the globe. We should be certain of one thing, US will never remove our trade restrictions going forward. All the reason for us to start acting more intelligently.
@Barack Obama: Thanks. We would definetly loose some weight when ur fat filled aid cuts off!
It may seem that it's America against Pakistan, there is actually more to this!
US aid to PK is tied to fight against Terrorism. If we do not perform, they don't give us their much needed and little appreciated money. Very basic economics!!
Happy New Year...
OnlyMilitary AID is being stopped ... USA is continuing to be pakistan's sugar daddy (Japan, worldbank, EU trade consessions -- ever wonder why these other USA clients have increased aid to pak?)
Like always, A good gift from our loyal friends. The Americans.
"pakistan should contact chinese banks to finance…" Ali Tanoli
dear ali sab, after china than who??????? how long you will run a country on loans/aids? when are you going to think standing on your own foot? give up terrorism as state policy & start a new era in 2012 of development. may god bless pakistan a true indian........
Pakistan should recall all Pakistanis in US. Without them the US will collapse
Pakistan should have learned its lesson by now . . . .It gets involved in fighting a war that is not in its interest and right at the time when it has shattered, exhausted and drained its resources, damaged its people and destroyed their cities . . .the rug gets pulled from under it. This scenario has has been repeated before too. Will they ever learn . . .and start developing and investing in their own resources which is what they should have been concentrating on rather than fighting a war which they had no business in. Whether the civillian govt likes it or not, the military should be heavily involved in gaurding cities and its borders so there would no chance of infiltration and security risks and hence no need of war. The civillian govt should not interfere with the military's judgement and reasoning.
I would call it a 'blessing in disguise' provided that Imran gets in power.
thank god, now its time to get independent.
*i like thz decision.......now we will do every thing indepedentely.......HAPPY NEW YEAR TO MY ALL PAKISTANI BROTHERS .. *
Time to start growing grass. ZAB asked Pakistanis to be willing to eat grass, as long as Pakistan had "nuclear weapons". No more free ride, nothing but a big hole in the begging bowl, and the all weather friends do not want to deal with a decrepit nation that has no money to buy their goods.
@Waseem: Send us a bill and we'll burn it in a celebration like you do the US flag. That's acceptable, right?
Reuters didn't apply that headline to their news article - that bit of sensationalism was inappropriately added by ET. This is the same bill the was the subject of various articles in the past - the only item in the bill which directly affects Pakistan requires you to make some attempt at controlling the material which is being used to create IED's - something that most countries would do even if they were not receiving aid.
Thank you very much and a very happy new year to you Mr. Obama.
Pakistan's new year resolution is to go speedily ahead with the Iran Pakistan Gas Pipeline and rely unimportantly on your aid (hopefully).
The signing of the defense spending bill will be taken as a boon by our PPP government planners and rely on taxation from untaxed sectors to fulfill our fiscal requirements.
Salams to Pakistan
There was no controversy over sanctions on Iran or the suspension of military aide to PAK. The controversy was over the attempts of the US Congress to limit the powers of the Office of Presidency to conduct foreign policy.
Congratulations. Many Pakistani's wish has been fulfilled.
The US taxpayers are not going to give any more military aid to Pakistan until the safe haven of OBL in an army base is openly explained and discussed like the Memogate. How could the taxpayers give their hard earned money to people who have shown no remorse for harboring the worst terrorists in the army bases? Looks like the days of keeping a gag order on the surrender of East Pakistan are long gone, in the days of information technology. There is still time to tell the truth and come clean. Keeping mum and quiet is not going to fool the world.
60% only there should e total freeze and economic sanctions also. Pakistanis think they can urvive on their own so let's give them an opportunity to taste HW life would be if all their obscurantist ideas were implemented
A decision made in Jerusalem not Washington... Part of the "Black cap" conspiracy lead by a black man perhaps
So, clearly they do not want Pakistan to extend their relationship with Iran in any way. Now that! is our way to go...
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all Pakistani brothers
Happy as we could ever be. This is just one more string, cut loose. One more step to economic independence.
America owes Pakistan, 2.5 billion dollars in CSF and Rent
well done Obama...... first BIG favor you could do us......
For starters Pakistan should assess and claim the fee for allowing transit facility to NATO cargo from the date the first container or truck left the port a Karachi for its destination in Afghanistan. That should offset the amount President (Mu)Barack Hussein has now withheld. In fact, Pakistan may tell him what air traffic controllers leader had said to President Reagan: "Shove it Mr. President."
Thankyou Obama
There was no gain for Pakistan helping America in their war OF terror.
IT would appear you do not want comments on this article.
wht more could we have asked for! thank you President!
Chances for him getting another Nobel Prize, this time for Economics are getting high.
For god sake stop fueling anti american sentiment in Pakistanas it only going to hurt Pakistan. Be rational please and please avoid from these masala headlines
Thank u Obama....U have done a good job....We need this, so that we can make reforms in Pakistan and should stop relying on aid...
Why tribune is fueling anti american sentiment? FYI its only going to hurt Pakistan not anyone else. Be rational please and avoid these masala headlines. Pakistan Zindabad
It's a good news for ordinary Pakistanis
What is amazing is how our leaders continue to GIVE AWAY hundreds of billions of dollars every January 1st when the nation is still FULLY 20 Trillion dollars in debt from the last wars started by George Dumblya Bush. There MUST be a law that says ZERO Foreign Aid and ZERO Military aid may be given away unless the Nation is SOLVENT FIRST.
We must demand that the American people be allowed to raise a national vote on issues such as this and pass them with citizen votes and Bypass Washington on matters of serious importance such as this.
Congratulations. This is freedom from Pakistanis have been asking for.
Enough is enough. We are sick of aid, we need trade Mr Obama! Insh'Allah 2012 will bring peace, prosperity, unity and blessings to this bravest nation of planet.
This is just for starters, let's wait and see what's on menu for main course and desserts !!! Another nail in the coffin on the special relationship.
**HAPPY NEW YEAR** *to all Dear* Brothers & SistersWell if this aid is given as a bribe.,,. This should not been there to start with..
Excellento!!!!!!!!!!!
Blessing in disguise.
Best thing that ever happened..Hope the slaves do not start clamouring..Maashter! Have mercy on us.
Its time we aligned ourselves with the enemies of US OPENLY..and recognize Iran as the leader recognized by so many nations already.
So, Iran is being slowly lumped along with Pakistan. Why not form a strategic alliance with Tehran? Oh, I forgot, the Wahhabi-aligned jihadis will ratchet up their bombing campaigns throughout Pakistan.
Thanks Obama
Thank you, Obama; Pakistan needs to overcome aid dependence. On a side note, please stop cribbing about the Pakistan-Afghanistan border until you, with all your advanced technology, have found a fix for the Mexico-USA border. Your border issue doesn't even involve caves and mountains, or an ethnic group on both sides that has never accepted a line that was drawn by an ignorant colonial administrator.
America the 'champion of democry' doesn't really like when Pakistan shows what the people of Pakistan wants from their corrupt and incompetent government. USA gives aid to countires with dictatorships or US puppet governments.
Thank you.... It will help Pakistan prosper as our leaders would have to dig deep to explore coal and other minerals in Pakistan.
This is a gift and I am saying it keeping sarcasm aside.
so what? =/ economy will crumble? govt. may fall? army PAF navy will be useless? schools will stop teaching? hospitals will stop working? workers would be fired? electricity will have a dead end? gas will stop coming out of reserves?
nothing will happen. it is just the mind game by some quarters(amriki "pithoo") who force Pakistanis to believe that no USAID means no Pakistan.. duh get outta it.. nothing happened in 1998...nothing will happen NOW! if govt collects tax properly it can have an extra $6billion..! but again its the govt. not puppets im talking about.
A good beginning.
This the best thing for pakistan.. keep ur distance from the states. There is an old saying :beware greeks bearing gifts:
Thank yOu O(b)ama... :)
It seems the Americans are becoming wiser. It also appears that this POTUS is still a bit slow.
There was no controversy over sanctions on Iran or the suspension of military aide to PAK. The controversy was over the attempts of the US Congress to limit the powers of the Office of Presidency to conduct foreign policy.
Punjab government anyway refuses to accept US aid.
Aid ruins the country's discipline and makes it avoid making the reforms it must make, leave alone the debate on conditionalities
Reduction in cursed aid? what a fantastic start to new year for Pakistan.
Thank you so much, at-least now we wont have to hear about all the 'huge' aid ure giving us & how we're just being so thankless
Last weeks news --- restrictions on Pakistan aid are conditioned on Pakistan taking steps to control materials used in making IED's something that should be no big deal and something that any other country would do without being coerced.
hahahah Happy New Year Pakistan.
You should not bite the hand that feeds you.
Thanks for geting Pakistan Rid of the Stupid US AID that kill my Innocent Countrymen in return
Anything that reduces the stranglehold of the establishment on Pakistan, its people and resources, is welcome.
Pakistan has shown itself to be resilient in the face of sanctions and similar past actions. In the final analysis, every nation, including Pakistan needs to look after its own interests. Now hopefully, Pakistan can rework the US Pakistan relationship into something which is in Pakistan's best interests. After all Musharraf sold away the nation's rights and tariffs for transporting foreign goods for nothing compared to what NATO pays to Russia and Central Asian nations. Pakistan does not need military aid from the US if it means destabilizing the nation. After all the West will pull out again like they did when Pakistan defeated the Soviets. Again Pakistan will be cleaning up the mess.
It spoiled my New year party. So sad.
Happy New Year !!! Thank you Mr.President. It is high time for both of us to go our own ways.
Sincerely All Pakistanis
Now please do not start begging unless we deliver what USA wants. The whole international community is dependent on each other and there is no free lunch. Some bad days ahead but our leaders must not make irrational decisions on sentiments but on reasoning and logic. We must change especially our military, just opposite what we have been doing and never think of short cuts in relationships. USA provided us all the opportunities in the world in exchange for controlling the terrorism and we blew it away with intrigues and poisoned minds. God bless Pakistan and keep it at least what it is.
Obama is definitely USA's Gorbachev who is facilitating the decline of an another shot at imperialism.
Thus proven...US was just exploiting Pakistan...it never was a friend or an ally...
Pakistan should contact chinese banks to finance...
It seems the Americans are learning even if the POTUS is a bit slow.