US subcommittee on foreign operations mulls making aid for Pak subject to conditions

Islamabad -  A subcommittee of the United States, which oversees the State Department and several international programs and agencies, is reportedly mulling making economic and or  security assistance for Pakistan subject to approval from the Secretary of State.

The US House Appropriations subcommittee for State and Foreign Operations has proposed that no assistance under the Economic Support Fund, International Narcotics Control and Law  Enforcement, Foreign Military Financing Program and the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund be released until the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton certifies such to the committee.

The proposal came as the subcommittee released the draft of the fiscal year 2013 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill.

According to the draft bill, Pakistan must co-operate with the US in counter terrorism efforts against the Haqqani Network, Al-Qaeda, Quetta Shura Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba,

Jaish-e-Mohammad and other domestic and foreign terrorist organizations, The Express Tribune reports.

Additionally, Pakistan must also end support of such groups and "prevent them from basing and operating in Pakistan for carrying out cross border attacks into neighboring countries."

The draft bill also states that Secretary of State must certify that Pakistan is not supporting terrorist activities against US or coalition forces in Afghanistan.

According to the paper, the draft bill, likely to be addressed in the subcommittee's session on Wednesday, also calls for Pakistan to dismantle the IED networks, prevent proliferation of  nuclear material, and give humanitarian organisations access to detainees, IDPs and those affected by the conflict.

It also calls for the Secretary of State will have to certify that Pakistan would issue visas in a timely manner to US visitors involved in counterterrorism or aid operations.