Interaction with Olson: Doubts raised over US aid programme’s extension

ISLAMABAD: A huge cloud hangs over any future extension of Kerry-Lugar-Bergman Act – under which Pakistan was to receive $1.5 billion in civilian aid annually from the United States till 2014, US Ambassador Richard Olson said on Friday. In an interaction with journalists on Friday, the US envoy said the future of the Kerry-Lugar-Bergman Act would depend on what decision US Congress took once it expired. “Any future (extension) will be determined by the US Congress,” Olson said following the conclusion of the recently held bilateral strategic dialogue in Washington. The Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, also known as the Kerry-Lugar-Bergman Act became operational in 2010. It authorised the release of $1.5 billion per year to Islamabad as non-military aid from the period of 2010 to 2014. However, Pakistan received less than half of the amount it was due to get during the past three years. Washington has already linked a portion of this programme amounting to around $33 million with release of Dr Shakeel Afridi, who allegedly helped the CIA in tracking down Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. The US ambassador was not sure if Pakistan would continue getting Coalition Support Fund payments – the reimbursements to Pakistan army for its war-on-terror expenses, after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan this year. Since Pakistan joined the US-led war on terror in 2001, it received more than $11 billion in the form of reimbursements and compensation for using Pakistani facilities by the coalition forces in Afghanistan. Olson confirmed that the matter was discussed during the dialogue but said no decisions were taken on this front. “The US is committed to a long-term partnership with Pakistan on economic, energy, security and other issues important issues,” he added. Peace talks To a question, he said Washington would support any mechanism that Pakistan opted for, including the proposed talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “Pakistan’s internal security is up to Pakistan. How that is done is up to Pakistan,” he added. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has recently nominated a four-member committee to contact the TTP and hold dialogue in order to address the core issue of militancy in the country. The ambassador focused his briefing mainly around the recently concluded strategic dialogue, which was the first ministerial level interaction of two sides since 2010. He said the process would continue and various contact groups would be meeting in the coming months before the two sides were in a position to make any tangible announcements. “The US has been specially focusing on helping Pakistan in energy projects. However, his country has been opposing the coal powered projects due to its policy on climate change,” he said. He cited examples of various hydel power projects where the US is assisting Pakistan, adding that it is also assessing the possibility of assisting the building of Diamer-Bhasha Dam. On the bilateral trade agreement, he said a tax mechanism was negotiated and Islamabad now was holding its internal deliberations before finalising it. Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2014.