Senator Bob Corker, co-sponsor of oversight requirement for US counter-terrorism aid for Pakistan, Saturday said provisions in the Defence Bill were neither an attempt to appease Indian lobby on the Hill nor they meant to micromanage the key South Asian anti-terror partner.
The Republican lawmaker said the Pakistan-related provision only sets out typical reporting requirements on the US Administration "as is natural to the legislative process on the Capitol Hill" and these requirements are not put on Pakistan. He was commenting on provisions of 680 billion dollars US Defence Department Bill for 2010, which, authorises 700 million dollars in counter-terrorism aid for Pakistan but asks the administration to report that funds under the Counter-insurgency Fund and Coalition Support Fund are used properly.
The US Congress, he said, wanted to be supportive of a strong partnership with Pakistan both in its anti-terrorism efforts and economic development of its people. "This has nothing to do with trying to in any way direct the military efforts of Pakistan. This is something that applies to our US government and our desire for them to make sure that that they are using the funds that we have allocated to them in ways that we prescribe," he explained in an interview.
"So, this has nothing to do with us trying to micromanage what is happening in Pakistan at all," insisted Corker, who was co-author of the Pakistan-related provisions along with Democratic Senator Robert Menendez. The two legislators' provisions would mandate a determination by the US Secretary of Defence, along with the Secretary of State, before Pakistan is reimbursed with Coalition Support Fund, that the payment is both in the national security interests of the US and will not affect the balance of power in the region. The mention of balance of power in the region was interpreted by some experts as a reference to India, but Corker denied that.
"Not at all. The provisions in this defence authorisation bill have nothing to do with that," the legislator from Tennessee said when asked if they were somehow included to appease the Indian lobby as suggested by some experts. "I assure you that the language in the Defence Authorisation Bill that we put in place has nothing to do with any kind of micro-management or interference in Pakistani affairs."
"The way we work in our own legislature, you know, we have, if you will, a balance of power on our own government. When we authorise the money, we want to make sure that it is utilised in ways that we direct them. This has nothing to do with India. It's nothing to do with Pakistan-India relationship."
"It (the reporting requirement) has nothing to do with trying to interfere with how Pakistan is dealing with its neighbours or what Pakistan is doing with its own funding in its country." To a question, Senator Corker said the US Congress definitely desired an improvement in Pakistan-India relations.
"There is no question that we want to see the relations between India and Pakistan improve greatly, we know that while Pakistan has concerns about what is happening on its eastern border, that it distracts from efforts inside the country and certainly what is happening on the Western border."
"And, yes, we'd love to see that conditions be such that Pakistan did not fear what was happening on its eastern border and that India does not fear what is happening on its western border. So, there is no question that we would like to see those conditions improve." The lawmaker, who visited Swat valley in August this year, was full of praise for Pakistan's anti-terrorism drive and said congressional support for Pakistan was at its highest in recent years.
"I am impressed by the incredible efforts the Pakistani military and the people of Pakistan are doing, the efforts they are putting forth to rid the country of the people who wish the country harm from within." "We are dealing as partners and this is something important not just to Pakistan and our country but actually to the world," he said, referring to the Taliban threat.
"What you are doing in the efforts against Taliban what we are doing in Afghanistan and what we are doing in partnership with you is very very important. I think the bond between our countries has really strengthened tremendously, even over this last year." He recognised a huge difference between Pakistan's current efforts and those it was making a couple of years back. On Kerry-Lugar Bill, Corker said, "It sends a message to the people of Pakistan that we are there for a long time and at long-term partnership with Pakistan."
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