No blank check to Pakistan in Kerry Lugar Bill

Washington, May 4: The Kerry-Lugar bill, which triples the United States' civilian aid to Pakistan to USD 1.5 billion per annum for next five years, does not offer a blank check to Islamabad, as was being sought by the establishment in the nuclear-armed country.

The bill, introduced in the US Senate today, subjects US security assistance to a "certification" that the Pakistani government is using the money to combat the Taliban and al-Qaeda. An identical bill has already been introduced in the House of Representatives.

"While our bill envisions sustained economic and political cooperation with Pakistan, it is not a blank check. It expects that the military institutions in Pakistan will turn their attention to the extremist dangers within Pakistan's borders," Republican Senator Richard Lugar said on the Senate Floor while introducing the bill.

A Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Lugar said the bill calls for tangible progress in governance, including an independent judiciary, greater accountability by the central government, respect for human rights, and civilian control of the levers of power, including the military and the intelligence agencies. PTI