Photo: HiraV/Wikimedia Commons
President Donald Trump has proposed $ 351 million in economic and security assistance for Pakistan in the fiscal 2019 budget, indicating the continued importance of U.S.-Pakistan cooperation to America’s South Asia policy.
The White House proposal for the new fiscal year, beginning on October 1, 2018, however, makes it clear that the security assistance of $ 80 million is linked to Pakistan’s actions to further President Trump’s South Asia and Afghan policy.
The proposal comes even as the U.S. security assistance for Islamabad remains frozen due to Washington’s criticism that Pakistan has not done enough against the Afghan Taliban including the Haqqanis. The United States and Pakistan also differ on the nature of assistance. Pakistan calls the bulk of money it receives from the United Sates as CSF (Coalition Support Fund) reimbursement for the services it renders in support of the U.S. mission while Washington counts all finances it gives to Pakistan as aid.
The relations between the two countries soured after President Trump’s criticism of Islamabad in a New Year Day tweet, followed by suspension of U.S. security aid for Pakistan. In recent weeks, the United States has suggested it would be ready to resume security aid for Pakistan if the country takes appropriate counterterrorism actions.
Releasing details of the budgetary proposal, the Whit House said in a document that it “continues to include funding to support America’s partnership with Pakistan.”
According to the proposal made to Congress, the U.S. Administration is seeking $256 million for Pakistan in economic and other assistance to “help increase stability, promote economic growth, and create opportunities for U.S. businesses.”
“In addition, the Budget requests $80 million in Foreign Military Financing assistance to enhance Pakistan’s counterterrorism and counterinsurgency capabilities, contingent on Pakistan taking appropriate action to expand cooperation in areas where U.S.-Pakistan interests converge and to address areas of divergence, in line with the Administration’s South Asia strategy,” the White House said in its budget request.
The Trump Administration has reduced assistance for foreign countries and Pakistan is among only 10 countries to be allocated foreign military financing during the 2019 fiscal year.
“We only have funded about 10 of our critical partners, so this shows the importance of Pakistan as a major security partner for us,” Hari Sastry, Director of the Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources at the State Department, said at a briefing.
The assistance sought for Pakistan in the new year is in total down about $10 million from the ongoing fiscal year, according to the official.
For Afghanistan, where the U.S. is engaged in the fight against militancy amid a spate of troubles facing Kabul, the White House has sought $ 5 billion in the new fiscal year.
“The Budget requests more than $5 billion for continued U.S. training and assistance for the Afghan security forces and would enable U.S. forces to conduct counterterrorism operations to ensure that the region cannot be used by jihadist terrorist groups to plot transnational attacks against the U.S. homeland, citizens overseas, or allies and partners.
The proposal says the budgetary allocation of more than $630 million for civilian assistance supports President Trump’s new strategy to “empower the people of Afghanistan to take ownership of their future.”
“In addition, the Budget strengthens and sustains improvements in education, health, governance, and other sectors that are essential for securing a stable and prosperous Afghanistan. The Budget also allows the United States to honor the pledge made at the Brussels conference on Afghanistan, which anticipated gradually declining assistance levels.
Overall, the Administration says, the budget for the new fiscal year, “furthers the U.S. goal of a stable and secure South Asia by supporting the Afghan government and security forces in their fight against Taliban insurgents and jihadist terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda and ISIS.”
