US aid to Pak cancelled before it presented
NEW YORK (updated on: January 31, 2009, 10:43 PST): A landmark US bill that provides for 15 billion dollars in economic assistance to Pakistan as a US frontline ally in combating terrorism over the next 10 years beginning 2009 has been cancelled even before it was debated and voted in US Congress.
The bill S-3263, popularly known as 'Biden-Lugar bill' or Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act 2008 was introduced in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by its then chairman Senator Joseph Biden and Senator Richard Lugar, and the Senate Committee had approved the bill unanimously; but it died before it could be tabled before the Senate for debate and vote.
An official of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmed that Bill S-3263 has been cancelled as it was not debated and approved by the US Congress that completed its term by the end of 2008.
When Biden as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee presented this bill before the committee and got it unanimously approved in July 2008, the jubilant Pakistan Government portrayed it as symbol of US support to Pakistan's return to democracy.
Earlier, Biden, while supporting the bill said: From the American perspective, we've spent billions of dollars and have gotten far too little to show for it.
From the Pakistani perspective, America is an unreliable ally that will abandon Pakistan the moment it's convenient to do so, and whose support to date has merely bolstered unrepresentative rulers, both in and out of uniform.
We need to change this arrangement into the type of normal, functional relationship we enjoy with all of our other military allies and friendly nations. Sen. Lugar and I have worked closely to formulate a bold new strategy for Pakistan. Our bill represents a genuine sea-change - one which will set the US-Pakistan policy on a safer and more successful course, he added.
Copyright Aaj TV, 2009
Irf replied on Sunday, February 1, 2009 05:38 AM
AID AID AID... cme on guys we have taken US and other countires AID by default, we need to get our own act together, focus on technolgy, clear corroupting, ram up education system and stop this crap, its their choice they cancalled, question is what are we going to do about this in terms of getting our own act together |
fourvoyagers replied on Sunday, February 1, 2009 06:17 AM
Assalam-O-Alaikum,
Old habits die hard, have you ever seen parasites surviving of their own??? Pakistanis are born parasites, never believe in themselves and always seem eager to find ways and means to grab a hand out!!! |
Hamid, Toronto replied on Sunday, February 1, 2009 02:00 PM
These comments are very pathetic. Within few seconds you said, Pakistanis are parasites. In my opinion, these comments can be avoided by starting a healthy discussion.
May Allah give you wisdom not to hurt other fellow Pakistanis feelings. |
Muhaq-qiq replied on Monday, February 2, 2009 01:39 PM
AOA to all,
Loan is not a bad thing (check the USA history)
But this recent move by USA is realy appriciatable.
Thanks to Allah(SWT) for this push to us.
This Pakistani nation must pick up DANDA now against......themselve!!! |
Salman replied on Tuesday, February 3, 2009 05:27 AM
When US continues to print as many dollars as they want regardless of how much gold they have to back it up, is it not unfair to the rest of the world. Aren't they parasiting on everyone else by forcing their currency on every poor country, forcibly selling arms and ammunition against the dollars? |
