The United States will continue with its substantial aid package for Pakistan, with President Barack Obama proposing $804 million under different heads for FY 2016, beginning October 1, 2015.
The package proposes $534 million in civilian aid and $270 million in military aid or “security assistance” as Washington prefers to call it and is meant for conducting “counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations against militants throughout its (Pakistan’s) borders”.
“For Pakistan, the Budget demonstrates our commitment to fostering stability and prosperity, and provides security assistance that promotes counterterrorism and counterinsurgency capabilities,” said a statement issued with the Budget sent by President Barack Obama to US Congress on Monday.
The State Department’s Congressional Budget Justification document says the proposed funding “will demonstrate the US commitment to sustained, long-term engagement with Pakistan, throughout the transition in Afghanistan”.
“The requested level of FY 2016 resources for Pakistan is critical for achieving US goals of countering terrorism and violent extremism, increasing stability in both Pakistan and the region, and making clear that the United States is not abandoning the region following the transition in Afghanistan,” says the document.
Making a reference to the Peshawar school massacre last December in which terrorists gunned down 145 people, mostly children, Secretary of State John Kerry writes: “Helping the Pakistani government address this security challenge is in our interests.”
Terming Pakistan “a key partner” on counterterrorism and nuclear nonproliferation goals, the budgetary document asserts that the proposed economic and security assistance will help increase Islamabad’s capacity to respond to the economic, social and security needs of its people.
Giving out the broad details of the assistance, Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom told reporters that the assistance to Pakistan remains robust, but has come down by “about 10 per cent over last year based on what we think the needs are”.
Under its Foreign Military Financing head, the budget sets apart $265 million for Pakistan, asserting that this funding is essential “given the ongoing transition in Afghanistan and continued terrorist attacks against civilian and military targets throughout Pakistan”.
The FMF request, according to the document, will enhance the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, Air Force, and Navy’s ability to conduct counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations throughout its borders. It will focus on seven priority areas including precision strike; air mobility and combat search and rescue; counter-improvised explosive device and battlefield survivability; battlefield communications; night operations; border security; and maritime security/counternarcotics.
The document says that resources under Overseas Contingency Operations will “support critical US activities such as sustaining close cooperation with Pakistan, ensuring the safety of Pakistani nuclear installations, working with Pakistan to facilitate the peace process in Afghanistan, and promoting improved relations with India”.