India’s concerns expressed over the misuse of US financial assistance to Pakistan have ultimately resulted in the legislation tripling US aid for Islamabad getting the rider that it will have to ensure that the funds are used for the intended purpose only – fighting terrorism. This is the result of a concerted drive against the Kerry-Lugar Bill, promising $1.5 billion US aid to Pakistan annually for five years. India was demanding such an accountability clause in the US aid Bill.
Reports from Washington said on Oct. 1, the US lawmakers had imposed stringent conditions on Pakistan requiring monitoring of compliance by Washington while okaying a five-year $7.5 billion dole for Islamabad till 2014. The conditions, which should settle some unease in New Delhi include six monthly valuations by Washington of efforts by Pakistan to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and other extremist and terrorist groups in the FATA and settled areas; eliminate the safe havens of such forces in Pakistan; close terrorist camps, including \those of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed; cease all support for terrorist groups, and prevent attacks into neighbouring countries. Section 203 of the Senate Bill enjoins the Secretary of State to give a certification to Congress that Pakistan has made progress on matters such as “ceasing support, including by elements within the military or its intelligence agency, to extremist and terrorist groups, particularly to any group that has conducted attacks.” The Secretary of State also has to certify that Pakistan is stopping terrorist groups such as LeT and JeM from operating in the territory of Pakistan. Pakistan has also not escaped US oversight of its nuclear proliferation activities either, with the Bill requiring the Secretary of State to certify that Pakistan is cooperating with the US in efforts to dismantle supplier networks relating to the acquisition of nuclear weapons-related materials.
The Bill prohibits any security-related assistance and arms transfer to Pakistan during 2010-14 until the Secretary of State certifies that Islamabad is making significant efforts towards combating terrorist groups and cooperates in efforts to dismantle supplier networks relating to the acquisition of nuclear weapons-related materials.
“The Bill prohibits any security-related assistance and arms transfer to Pakistan during 2010-14 until the Secretary of State certifies that Islamabad is making significant efforts towards combating terrorist groups…”
The inclusion of the accountability clauses is expected to allay India’s fears owing to the conduct of Pakistan in the past. Although there is no specific reference to India in keeping with Pakistan’s plea that any India-specific condition would be humiliating, the so-called Kerry-Lugar Bill leaves no doubt that Islamabad risks losing US aid if it keeps up its terror campaign against India. Underscoring the language in the entire Bill is the premise that Pakistan has been using terrorism as State policy against India, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alleged recently. Recently, a noted US security expert pointed out that most of the aid the US has sent them over the past five years has been diverted into their nuclear programme. Former President Pervez Musharraf himself admitted some time ago that much of the aid his country got from the US during his tenure went into strengthening Pakistan’s defence forces vis-à-vis India. This should have been enough for the Obama Administration to stop all kinds of financial assistance to Pakistan in the interest of peace in South Asia.
The US has already contributed more than $15 billion to Pakistan since 2001 of which more than $10 billion has been security-related assistance and direct payment. But, Senator John Kerry, who has sponsored the legislation along with Republican Senator Richard Lugar, has mooted an additional $7.5 billion for the 2015-2019 period [over and above the $7.5 billion for 2010-14] as part of a long-term commitment to the people of Pakistan.
