Legislation was introduced Tuesday in Congress proposing non-military aid to Pakistan be tripled to 7.5 billion dollars over five years, and linking security aid to counter-terrorism performance.
The bipartisan legislation authorises 1.5 billion dollars annually for development purposes, such as building schools, roads and clinics, for five years and advocates a similar amount over a subsequent five-year period, lawmakers said.
"Our bill represents a genuine sea-change - one which will set the US-Pakistan policy on a safer and more successful course," said Senator Joseph Biden, the Democratic head of the Senate foreign relations committee.
"For far too long, our policy towards Pakistan has been in desperate need of a serious overhaul," the Democratic lawmaker told reporters. The legislation also wants US security aid, around one billion dollars annually at present, to be tied to results - ensuring more effective efforts against al Qaeda and Taliban militants who Washington claims are hiding in Pakistan territory. An independent government audit found last month that military aid given to Pakistan was not well accounted for.
"While our bill envisions sustained co-operation with Pakistan for the long haul, it is not a blank check," cautioned Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican member of the foreign relations panel. The legislation, he said, called for "tangible progress" in key areas, including seeking an independent judiciary, greater accountability by the central government, respect for human rights, and civilian control of the levers of power, including the military and the intelligence agencies.
Lawmakers said the bill had effectively the backing of President George W. Bush's as well as the US military and academics, expecting it to be passed before Congress goes out of session in September.
"We are optimistic the House of Representatives will share our views," Biden said. The United States provided Pakistan more than 10.5 billion dollars for military, economic, and development activities in the 2002-2007 period. The Pentagon had cautioned earlier that any strategy change in military aid should not come at the expense of Pakistan's legitimate defence needs, opposing any "conditional language" on security assistance.
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