WASHINGTON: The United States has removed restrictions on this year's assistance for Pakistan, saying flow of economic and security aid to the country is in the US national security interest.
The removal of aid certifications comes at an important time in US policy toward the region as it moves towards 2014 deadline of end to combat missions in Afghanistan and at the same time works to improve ties with Pakistan after a series of incidents undermined the key relationship in the 2011.
In July this year, the bilateral ties considered critical to the outcome of the Afghan war started improving when Pakistan reopened its land routes and border crossing for NATO supplies in the wake of Washington's apology over November 2011 Salala attacks that had killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
According to Congressional Research Service, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton formally notified Congress on September 13 that the US Administration would continue the American aid flow by waiving certifications required contained in the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 and in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 finding that it was in the national security interest of the United States to do so.
The Obama Administration's FY2013 request for aid to Pakistan totaled $2.2 billion, of which $800 million for Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund is in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), considered to be short-term, temporary funds. Another $1.4 billion is considered to be enduring or regular funding. The CRS report said that in mid-August 2012, the State Department notified Congress of its intention to cite US national security provisions in waiving two certification requirements that placed conditions on US assistance to Pakistan.
These provisions related to Pakistan's cooperation with the United States on a range of counterterrorism, nonproliferation, democracy, and other issue-areas.
This marks the first time the Obama Administration has waived aid sanctions on Pakistan.
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