US SECURITY AID TO PAK DROPS 62% IN 5 YEARS

There has been a 62 per cent decline in security aid from the the US to Pakistan over the last five years, according to an analysis of data released by the US Congressional Research Service (CRS). The data indicative of worsening US-Pakistan ties come as US President Donald Trump in his new year's tweet slammed Pakistan’s "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $ 33 billion aid over the past 15 years. Trump tweeted that there will be “no more” US aid to Pakistan.

Days after the Trump's tweet, the US suspended about $2 billion in security aid to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens.

In the post-9/11 period, Pakistan emerged as one of the biggest recipients of US aid because of its role as a regional ally in the American-led military intervention in Afghanistan. Pakistan received nearly $33 billion in the form of US security aid, economic aid and Coalition Support Funds (CSF) over 15 years.

Bilateral relations became increasingly fraught since the US special-forces raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, that

killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden in May 2011. This led the US to become critical of Pakistan’s role in fighting terror, particularly on the matter of safe havens to terrorists. Economic and humanitarian aid to Pakistan too declined 77 per cent from $1.1 billion in FY12 to $246 million in FY16. Since 2002, Pakistan has received over $13 billion in Coalition Support Funds (CSF) from the US. These are meant to reimburse Pakistan for its “operational and logistical support of US-led counterterrorism operations” in the region, the CRS notes.

The CRS reimbursement has declined 20 per cent from $688 million in FY12 to $550 million in FY16.