Pakistan is still hopeful of receiving $500 million under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) till June 2011 while the amount received under Kerry Lugar package stands at $300 million. Well-placed sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that Pakistan has received $743 million under the CSF in the first half of the current financial year 2010-11 while the total amount that was to be reimbursed under the CSF according to the schedule was $1.2 billion.
Sources said, "the CSF is a process of 'give and take' and the government is hopeful of getting the rest of the amount that is $500 million till June." Sources disclosed that non-imposition of the Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) and the government's failure to revise the State Bank Act are the major hurdles in getting the donor's assistance.
When this scribe asked Alberto Rodriguez, Country Information Officer of the US Embassy about the possibility of blocking the US aid under Kerry Lugar Bill and the CSF if Pakistan was found involved in co-operating with Osama Bin Laden, he said: "Funds authorised by the Kerry-Lugar-Berman legislation, CSF and others are part of our contribution to the US-Pakistan partnership. This assistance is meant to advance the shared interests of the United States and Pakistan, which, as both President Obama and Secretary Clinton have said, is a strategic partner in the fight against violent extremism."