US aid to Pakistan: Top Senators introduce amendments

Angry over Pakistan's lackluster cooperation in the war on terror, top US Senators have introduced amendments that would make it tough for government here to give military and civilian aid to Islamabad unless it takes concrete steps against militant groups like Haqqani network and LeT.

The amendments were introduced yesterday by several top Senators, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

Under the Reid Amendment (SA 957) to the HR 2354, the Secretary of State needs to certify that Pakistan is cooperating with the US in efforts against Haqqani network, the Quetta Shura Taliban, Lashkar e-Tayyiba, al-Qaeda and other domestic and foreign terrorist groups, including taking steps to end support for such groups and prevent them from operating in Pakistan and carrying out cross-border attacks into neighboring countries.

However, the Secretary of State could waive this condition in the national security interest of the US.

The Reid Amendment also requires the Secretary of State to certify that the Government of Pakistan is not impeding the issuance of visas for US visitors engaged in counter-terrorism efforts and assistance programmes in Pakistan; and is providing humanitarian bodies access to detainees, internally displaced persons, and other Pakistani civilians affected by the conflict.

The Reid Amendment also notes that US funds appropriated by this Act under the headings "Foreign Military Financing Programme" and "Pakistan Counter-insurgency Capability Fund" for fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, that are available for assistance for Pakistan, may be made available only to support counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in Pakistan.

Of late, several US lawmakers have claimed that money given to Pakistan for counter-terrorism is diverted for other purposes.

Not only this, the Reid Amendment imposes tough conditions for civilian aid to Pakistan too.

It says the funds appropriated by this Act may be made available for direct government-to-government assistance only if the Secretary of State certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that the US and Pakistan have agreed, in writing, to achievable and sustainable goals, benchmarks for measuring progress, and expected results for the use of such funds; and have established mechanisms within each implementing agency to ensure that such funds are used for the purposes for which they were intended.

The Secretary of State could suspend any direct government-to-government assistance to an implementing agency if the Secretary has credible information of misuse of such funds by any such agency, it said.

Of the funds appropriated under "Economic Support Fund" in this Act for assistance for Pakistan, $5million should be made available for human rights and democracy programmes, including training of government officials and security forces, and aid for human rights organisations and the development of democratic political parties, according to the Reid Amendment.

It has also kept a provision of $10 million for emergency humanitarian needs.

A similar amendment (SA 952) has been moved by four American Senators -- Bob Casey, John Barrasso, Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse.