Pakistan says US aid ’signal of long term commitment’
October 8th, 2009 - 12:55 pm ICT by IANSBy Arun Kumar
Washington, Oct 8 (IANS) Even as Pakistan’s military questioned the anti-terror strings attached to the proposed $7.5 billion US aid package, its foreign minister said it was crucial to fight terrorists and the US assured that it would not impinge on Islamabad’s sovereignty.
The US lawmakers responsible for the bill to provide Pakistan with $1.5 billion a year over the next five years had also assured him that the economic aid has no conditions attached, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Wednesday at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Qureshi praised the Kerry-Lugar aid bill as the US’ “first visible demonstration of engagement with Pakistan beyond terrorism” and a “very strong signal of a long-term commitment”.
Qureshi also said Pakistan and the US should strengthen consultations as the Obama administration decides whether to send more troops to neighbouring Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the State Department sought to allay Islamabad’s concerns saying that the Kerry-Lugar bill did have an in-built monitoring mechanism but does not impinge on Pakistan’s sovereignty.
“In terms of some of the requirements that we have for our assistance, of course, since we are stewards of US taxpayer funds, we have to build in certain consultation mechanisms, monitoring mechanisms,” spokesperson Ian Kelly told reporters. “These are in no way intended to impinge on Pakistan’s sovereignty.”
“I think a lot of the concerns have been because we are really ramping up our assistance programme. And of course there is a requirement for a certain infrastructure for our people out there. We want to modernise the embassy. We’re expanding the number of personnel out there,” Kelly said.
Asked why Pakistanis shouldn’t see the aid as a payoff for fighting terrorism, Kelly said: “Well, we certainly don’t see it as a payoff. We see it as a means for helping Pakistan meet this common threat to our two societies.
“And the reason we say a partnership is because a modern and effective Pakistani military is in our interest as well as Pakistan’s interest, and we want to help Pakistan build that kind of capacity or capability.”
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Tags: arun kumar, consultation mechanisms, consultations, council on foreign relations, economic aid, fighting terrorism, foreign minister, lawmakers, mahmood qureshi, neighbouring afghanistan, next five years, pakistanis, shah mahmood, sovereignty, spokesperson, stewards, strong signal, taxpayer funds, term commitment, visible demonstration
