The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Monday expressed shock at the press reports about the squandering of the US aid given to Pakistan in war on terrorism.
Pakistan has reportedly received up to $11 billion in aid from the US, most of which has gone into military hardware and the provision of cash support for the country's operating budget, said PPP Information Secretary Sherry Rehman, in a statement.
She said Pakistan has deployed over 100,000 troops in the tribal areas while it has lost over 1,000 during the battle between the militants since 2002. According to a New York Times report, US assistance account for about a quarter of the Pakistan military's budget. However, a number of recent news reports reveal that the US aid to Pakistan to fight terrorism never reaches the military.
"This is an insulting for the brave soldiers of Pakistan who have always safeguarded the borders with commitment," she added. Sherry said the latest reports not only cast doubt on the military regime's commitment to fighting the war on terror, but also explain why Pakistan has not made any major breakthrough despite receiving huge amount with a capable military to meet the challenge.
She said the reports related to the squandering of US military aid expose corruption in certain sections of the defence apparatus as there is hardly any justification for purchases made under several heads with the US money.
She also expressed her party's serious concern over the mismanagement of the US funds which not only makes soldiers more vulnerable since a meagre amount of the funds is channelled for their training and weapons.
"The purpose of the war on terrorism is not only to eliminate terrorists; but also eliminate the root-cause of terrorism. How can terrorism be rooted out if such a paltry allocation is made to critical social sectors," Sherry maintained. She was of the view that the reports reflect the inability of the military regime to fight a war of utmost most importance for the safety of its citizens.
"This also reflects the importance of a sovereign and strong parliament that, as people's representatives, has the responsibility to safeguard the life and interest of both the civilians and the military. A rubber stamp parliament such as the 2002-07 not only failed in its constitutional duty to watch for the public interest, it actually traded off public interest by opting to remain subservient to the non-representative establishments," she added.
Sherry Rehman reiterated her party's commitment to fight the menace of extremism. "We would not let the sacrifices of the people of Pakistan, and the country's soldiers go to waste. Nobody deserves to die at the hands of the terrorists, and there is absolutely no justification for backing such elements," she said.
She said PPP is clear in its anti-terrorism stand and it will work towards empowering the parliament, the public and the military to take up a joint struggle against the menace of terrorism that has cost the country countless lives.