No deal over CSF payments, negotiations continuing: Cmdr Speaks

US denies reports that a deal for paying 75% of due CSF payments. Say negotiations are still underway.

WASHINGTON: A US Department of Defense spokesperson says that no agreement between America and Pakistan has been reached yet for a payment of the Coalition Support Fund dues. However, negotiations on the subject are underway.

While denying a media reports that an agreement had been reached to pay 75 per cent of outstanding CSF dues, Commander Bill Speaks told The Express Tribune that discussions on the matter of CSF were still ongoing. "There is no agreement at all yet".

On Friday, while presenting the annual budget, the Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh had said that the US owes Pakistan nearly $1.2 billion in Coalition Support Fund payments.

The US Department of Defense says it has approved over $8.8 billion in CSF payments to Pakistan since 2002, with the last payment being in December 2010 for $633 million. The Coalition Support Funds remains a contentious issue between Pakistan and the US, and has not been disbursed since 2010, in a period where relations between both countries have deteriorated.

It is also part of the negotiations to re-open the Nato supply line through Pakistan. The supply line had been closed in November 2011, after 'friendly fire' from Nato helicopters killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at a border check post.