US Congress passes bill to triple non-military aid to Pak

The US Congress has passed a bill to triple non-military aid to Pakistan to a whopping $7.5bn till 2014 amid India's warning that such funds have been diverted in the past to support hostile operations against it and need to be monitored.

The US House of Representatives gave a go ahead to the bill despite strong misgivings voiced by lawmakers who said that Pakistan was not doing enough to fight the enemies.

"We cannot allow al-Qaeda or any other terrorist groups that threatens US national interest to operate with impunity in the tribal regions or any other part of Pakistan," said Howard Berman, chairman of the house committee for foreign affairs.

Under the bill passed by voice vote yesterday, a week after the Senate okayed it, the non-military aid to Pakistan has been tripled to $1.5bn per annum in a five year
commitment. Berman also said Washington cannot permit that Pakistani state and its nuclear arsenal to be taken over by the Taliban or Al-Qaeda.

The chairman of the foreign affairs committee who is an author of the legislative, expressed disappointment that the final version had lighter conditions. The passage of the legislation comes as president Barack Obama has made the fight against Taliban and al-Qaeda a top foreign policy priority.

The bicameral legislation now goes to US president Barack Obama for his signature to be signed into law. The legislation comes with riders demanding strong counter terrorism measures, preventing attacks on the West and its neighbours like India.

"This legislation helps give Pakistan the tools, support and capability to defeat Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups that threaten US national security," house speaker Nancy Pelosi said after the vote. The bill was passed in the Senate after senators had toned down some of the stricter conditions in the bill after Islamabad and Obama officials warned of micro-managing the assistance.

Now instead of threatening cutoffs of aid, it allows president to waive the review, if he feels that sending the aid suits US interests. Besides Berman, other lawmakers also voiced
opposition. Representative Gary Ackerman, one of India's strongest supporters of India in the Congress, said Pakistan administration shared sympathy with Taliban fighters in
Afghanistan."Pakistan's interests and ours are not very closed aligned."

Another Congresswoman Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican, said that Pakistan was still supporting Islamic extremists. "American soldiers still die everyday because our diplomats
won't face the reality. They keep on telling us Pakistan is coming around. But it's clear they (Pakistan) are playing us like a fiddle." India has said that it has also conveyed its
perspective and fears to the US on the aid to Pakistan and that the Obama administration "understands" its position.

"As and when we feel, we have conveyed to the government of United States our views, our perspectives, our fears, our misgivings. So, I think the US understands our position," external affairs minister SM Krishna said yesterday.

Last week, while in New York, Krishna had met with his American counterpart, Hillary Clinton.

"With respect to the aid that was given to Pakistan we have brought the attention of the government of the US that India's concern is only that aid has to be appropriated for the purpose for which it is provided by the US," Krishna had said, urging the US to monitor the use of the aid by Pakistan.