US gave us peanuts in aid, says former Pak minister

The US has given Pakistan “peanuts” and not “billions of dollars” in aid, said the country’s former Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan on Wednesday as he lambasted US President Donald Trump’s new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia.

Ridiculing Trump for saying that the US has paid “billions and billions of dollars” to Pakistan, Khan called on the Pakistani government to conduct an audit of US aid received in the last 10 years to “expose” American claims, Dawn newspaper reported.

“It’s not billions of dollars, it is peanuts,” the former Interior Minister said while speaking in the National Assembly. He said that Pakistan was not responsible for the failure of US and its allies in Afghanistan.

Khan said that the Coalition Support Fund paid by Washington is for the services rendered by Islamabad in the fight against terrorism. “The US drags its feet during the payment of the military fund, Khan said adding, “If our bill (for military services) is $500 million, they (the US) sit on it for months... and end up giving us $200 million.

“They have ruined our roads, our airspace, our country, but are not ready to pay for the expenses.”

“Put your money where your mouth is,” Khan said, adding that the US has been able to point fingers because Pakistan did not keep a proper record of American assistance.