Pakistan has received $25.91 billion military and economic aid from United States since September 11, 2001.

Islamabad, June 27/Nationalturk – After joining ‘war against terror’, Pakistan has received $25.91 billion military and economic aid from United States since September 11, 2001.

“US has provided approximately $17.22 billion in military and $8.68 billion in economic assistance to Pakistan since September 11, 2001,” a report presented in April this year by Congressional Research Service for the US Congress.

According to the report,  from 2002 to 2012 Pakistan received $10.68 billion as Coalition Support Fund, $2.75 billion as Foreign Military Financing, $2.35 billion under Pakistan Counter Insurgency Fund. “During the same period, Pakistan also received $312 million for Global Training and Equipment, $265 million out of Counter-Narcotics Funds of Pentagon, $27 million under International Disaster Assistance, $717 million under International Narcotics Control and Law, and $ 115 million under Anti Terrorism assistance”.

It further reveals that Pakistan got $6.61 billion under Economic Support Fund, $704 million as International Disaster Assistance, $572 million as Food Aid, $286 million as Development Assistance, $249 million for Child Survival and Health, $248 million under Migration and Refugee Assistance, and $17 million under Human Rights and Democracy Funds.

“Congress also authorised Pakistan to use the FY2003 and FY2004 ESF allocations to cancel a total of $1.5 billion in debt to the US government. Besides, US also sanctioned approximately $1.2 billion in economic assistance to Pakistan for 2010, with another $300 million pending through president’s supplemental request,” the report disclosed.

‘US expected to spend over $1.5 billion in Pakistan every year now’

The report said that in next few years, US is expected to spend more than $1.5 billion a year in Pakistan, as authorised by the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009. “Through this bill, better known as the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill, Congress authorised (but has not yet appropriated) a tripling of US development assistance to Pakistan to $7.5 billion over five years to improve Pakistan’s governance, support its economic growth, and invest in its people”.

The Congress report mentions about Foreign Military Sales agreements with Pakistan worth $5.4 billion for FY2002-FY2010 (in-process sales of F-16 combat aircraft and related equipment account for more than half of this). “US has also provided Pakistan with more than $2.1 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grants since 2001 (including FY2010 funds). These funds are used to purchase US military equipment for longer-term modernisation efforts. Major post-2001 defence supplies provided or soon to be provided under FMF include eight P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and their refurbishment (valued at $474 million; four delivered, two of which were destroyed in a March 2011 attack by terrorists); about 6,312 TOW anti-armour missiles ($186 million; at least 2,007 delivered); more than 5,600 military radio sets ($163 million); six AN/TPS-77 surveillance radars ($100 million); six C-130E transport aircraft and their refurbishment ($76 million); the USS McInerney; an ex-Perry class missile frigate (via EDA, $65 million for refurbishment, delivered); 20 AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters (via EDA, $48 million for refurbishment, 12 delivered); and 121 refurbished TOW missile launchers ($25 million)”.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News