The United States on Wednesday dismissed reports that it had cut $700 million assistance to Pakistan, but tied it to assurances that Pakistan would cooperate with the United States in countering improvised explosive devises (IEDs) and progress made in this regard.
"We have not cut 700 million dollars in aid to Pakistan. What we have is something on the defence authorisation bill, which is currently moving in the Congress, which would require the Department of Defence to continue providing a strategy on how we will use certain military assistance and measure its progress, in particular on progress that we are making with Pakistan on the IED issue", said US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland in a contradiction which was received here from US Embassy spokesman Mark Stroh.
The clarification came after the negotiating panel of the House of Representatives and the Senate unanimously agreed to freeze the $700 million assistance to Pakistan pending Pentagon's delivery of a strategy for improving the effectiveness of such assistance and assurances that Pakistan is countering improvised explosive devices (IED) networks in their country that are targeting collation forces in Afghanistan.
She explained that the United States has not cut the assistance. "The reports reflect draft legislation currently under negotiation in the US Congress", she added. "So if - obviously, if this legislation becomes law, we'll work with the Government of Pakistan on how we can fulfil the requirements", said the spokesperson. "But, this requires us to maintain a strategic perspective and to be clear with our Congress about the strategy," she added. She said that it was the subject that the US and Pakistan had been working on for some time together, both through DOD programs and through State Department programs.
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