Despite the diplomatic skirmishes that continued to rage in the first half of 2012 and the periodic clamour in US Congress to cut off aid, the Obama administration has opted to retain the flow of assistance to Pakistan at a substantial $1.3 billion in the ensuing fiscal year.
It, however, eliminates a key allocation under what was called Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund, even while helping in the modernization of security forces. This should signify a setback for Islamabad, considering that $800 million was earmarked under this head in the preceding fiscal.
The proposed assistance for Pakistan during American fiscal 2014, beginning October this year, includes about $860 million in development or non-military assistance and $300 million in military assistance under the Foreign Military Financing programme.
Defending the assistance, Secretary of State John Kerry has asserted that US aid has been helping to reduce terrorism and also make Pakistan “a responsible and responsive international partner”.
“Our economic and military assistance to Pakistan helps reduce the conditions that enable extremism and its calling card — terrorism — to disrupt and destroy,” said John Kerry in a letter to US Congress on the State Department component of President Obama’s budget.
“We are helping Pakistan to continue its development as a responsible and responsive international partner. For Pakistan we request US$ 1.3 billion in Financial Year 2014 to fund civil and military assistance along with supporting the existing diplomatic platform,” he said.
A fact sheet released by the State Department says the plan for Pakistan will continue programmes that increase stability, strengthen democratic institutions and help counter and undermine violent extremism. It will invest in energy, economic growth, stabilisation of border areas, education, health, and counterinsurgency and counterterrorism capabilities. It will support continued US civilian presence, civil society engagement, and associated security requirements.
Overall, the State Department gets $47.8 billion under President Obama’s budget request for 2014, representing a 6 per cent drop from last year’s level. “The request makes tough trade-offs, proposes important reforms, and takes advantage of efficiencies to support our diplomatic, development, and national security priorities and use taxpayer dollars efficiently,” the department said.
The budget provides $3.1 billion for Afghanistan, where it is in the process of transition with plans to pull out all combat troops by the end of 2014. It also sets apart $1.7 billion for Iraq in support of the country’s stability and growth.
Asked about the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund, a senior State Department official told reporters during a background briefing that it is “one of those programmes that we’re ending in the ‘14 budget”, adding Congress actually ended it in ‘13 itself.
“We’ve started to wind it down already. And the Congress gave us very clear signals in 2013 that they were not going to pick it up,” the official said, adding there have been issues over its implementation as well. Security relationship will now be primarily through the Foreign Military Financing programme, which is still there in the budget request for Pakistan.