British MPs urge UK to cut Pakistan aid

Pakistan set to receive £446 million in assistance this year.

LONDON: British aid to Pakistan should be cut unless there is proof the funds help stop extremism, a report by British lawmakers said on Wednesday.

Published just hours before Premier Nawaz was to meet his British counterpart David Cameron, the international development committee report singled out Pakistan for criticism.

Pakistan is the largest recipient of bilateral British aid and is set to receive £446 million in assistance this year.

“It is unlikely that expenditure would be so high if the country did not have to confront extremism,” the report said.

“If this is the case, the budget can only be justified if there is clear evidence that DFID (Department for International Development) support is effective in reducing the extremist threat. If not, we recommend that DFID consider reducing spending in Pakistan and increasing it in low-income countries.”

The British lawmakers also said that aid should not be increased until Pakistani political leaders pay their fair share of tax and increase tax collection generally. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2014.