USA DEFENCE DEPT FORCES CONGRESS TO BACK OFF ON LET

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers have decided not to press for tying certain financial aid for Pakistan to counter-terrorism measures against the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) after facing resistance from the defence department.

The provision was dropped from a legislation that the Senate and the House of Representatives agreed to on Wednesday through a process called conference — meant to reconcile differing versions of a bill passed by the two chambers. The legislation will now be put to a vote for passage, which is guaranteed in such circumstances.

India will be disappointed —the dropped clause had made payment of a substantial amount of aid to Pakistan conditional to action against the LeT.

However, it could take comfort from a section of the reconciled legislation that proposes to direct the executive branch to set up a formal structure to pursue relations with India under the new definition of “Major Defence Partner”.

In 2016, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with then-President Barack Obama, the US declared India a Major Defence Partner for defence cooperation extending to trade, co-development and co-production of military equipment. The term was largely left undefined.

A defence budget bill — the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) —codified it into law the same year, committing all succeeding presidencies to it, unless revoked. But it also did not specify how it will work. The 2018 bill directs the executive branch to finds ways to implement it.