| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| No Kerry-Lugar fund for Pakistan since 2013: US |
| 2015-01-06 |
| The United States said on Monday that no funds have been issued to Pakistan from the Kerry-Lugar-Berman provision since 2013. At a news briefing at the State Department, spokesperson Jen Psaki also rejected an Indian suggestion that it had issued a certification to Pakistan. Last week, the Ministry of Finance announced in Islamabad that the US Congress had cleared an instalment of $532 million of civilian aid to Pakistan from the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill. The ministry said that they received the information from the US ambassador in Islamabad who met Pakistani officials last week to prepare for Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Islamabad later this month. “Congress has not been notified of a request, Congress has not approved a request,” Ms Psaki told the briefing when asked to comment on statements issued in Islamabad and New Delhi. She noted that some media reports had also suggested that an approval has been made in the past, which was incorrect, as no approval has been made from the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill since 2013. An additional funding, however, could not be ruled out in future, she said, adding that there were other provisions, besides Kerry-Lugar-Berman, that were used for providing funds to Pakistan. Ms Psaki said that in the past, the State Department had made national interests waiver for Pakistan because all the criteria needed for a full certification were not met. “We obviously have that ability in the future as well,” she added. |
| Posted by: |
| #1 See Pakistan, it says right here in the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill.... |
| Posted by: Phinter Crineger9872 2015-01-06 09:07 |