On the same day that Senators John Kerry and Dick Lugar introduced a bill to triple non-military aid to Pakistan from $500 million per year to $1.5 billion per year, Pakistani Ambassador to the United States Hussain Haqqani slammed the Obama Administration for failing to fulfill its promises of massive aid increases.
“It is unfair to blame the civilian leadership that is bravely mobilizing the nation against terrorism when it is our American partners who have slowed us down in the war effort by slowing down the flow of assistance,” Haqqani declared. He then expressed hope “that President Obama’s emphasis on Pakistan will also translate promises into deliverables.”
Promises of massive new aid commitments aside, the Obama Administration has criticized the Pakistani government for signing a peace deal in Malakand as well as for committing roughly half of its military to the Indian border in response to a threatened military attack. As Sens. Kerry and Lugar press for a quick ratification of the aid boost, many are calling for strings to attach to the aid pacts, which Pakistan opposes.