05 August,2016 07:40 AM IST | | Agencies
US Def Sec declined to certify that Islamabad had taken enough action against the Haqqani network
Washington: In a setback to Pakistan, the US has blocked $300 million military aid to it after Defence Secretary Ashton Carter declined to give a certification to the Congress that Pakistan is taking sufficient action against the dreaded Haqqani network.
In the absence of Congressional certification, the Pentagon has blocked disbursement to Pakistan under Coalition Support Fund, which is essentially reimbursement money for the expenses made by Pakistan Army in support of US operations in Afghanistan.
"The funds could not be released to Pakistan at this time because the (Defence) Secretary has not yet certified that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network," Pentagon Spokesman Adam Stump said. "With the Secretary's decision, there is no additional FY15 CSF available to Pakistan," Stump added. The Washington Post described this as a "potential blow" to US-Pak ties.
Nadeem Hotiana, spokesman, Embassy of Pakistan, argued, "These reimbursements enable the US to support Pakistan's ongoing counter-terrorism efforts in a manner that serves shared interests of both countries."
Meanwhile, the Pentagon's decision was welcomed by eminent experts who said that this was long due. "This step to hold Pakistan accountable for its failure to crackdown on the Haqqani network was long overdue," said Lisa Curtis, an eminent South Asia expert, adding, "The move reflects that the US Congress has finally lost patience with Pakistan's facilitation of militants directly undermining the US mission in Afghanistan."
