An amendment adopted by the US House of Representatives subjects disbursement of military aid to Pakistan to the country’s record on human rights, particularly those relating to religious and ethnic minorities.
Under the amendment to the National Defence Authorisation Act of 2014, moved by Republican lawmaker Dana Rohrabacher with Democrat Brad Sherman’s co-sponsorship, the US Defence Secretary is required to certify that Pakistan is not using its military to persecute religious minority groups such as Hindus, Christians and Ahmadiya Muslims, besides the ethnic groups of Balochis, Sindhis and Hazaras.
Rohrabacher, who has been crossing swords with Pakistan on several issues including support for the independence of Balochistan, termed the amendment “a giant step forward for those victims of oppression in Pakistan”.
The lawmaker from California asserted that the amendment would ensure that Pakistan would not use its military or any funds or equipment provided by the United States to persecute the minority groups identified by him for their legitimate and nonviolent political and religious beliefs.
“For the first time their plight is being recognised and a policy is being established of not giving the Pakistani Government the weapons to carry on their repression. This is the first time the plight of the Balochi and the Sindhi have been underscored in legislation that links support for Pakistan’s military to how they treat those minority groups,” Rohrabacher said.
The US has spent roughly $25 billion dollars on aid to Pakistan since 2001 and this year’s National Defence Authorisation Act authorises another $1.5 billion for Pakistan, said Rohrabacher, who heads the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats.