US plans to cut $100 mn from coalition support fund for Pakistan

The Trump administration plans to slash $100 million and give $800 million as reimbursement to Pakistan in the next fiscal for its military support in fighting terror, a defence department official said.

The administration has proposed the $100 million cut in its annual budget proposals under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), a Pentagon programme to reimburse US allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations.

Pakistan is one of the largest recipients under the fund and has received $14 billion since 2002. But for the past two years, the Congress has imposed conditions on disbursal of the fund.

“The FY 2018 budget proposal seeks $800 million in CSF for Pakistan. The CSF authority is not security assistance, but reimbursements to key cooperating nations for logistical, military, and other support provided to US combat operations,” Adam Stump, Defence Department spokesman for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia told PTI on Wednesday.

For 2016 fiscal year, Pakistan was authorised to receive up to $900 million under CSF.

“The deputy secretary of defence signed the authorisation to disburse $550 million in fiscal year 2016 coalition support fund to Pakistan for logistical, military, and other support provided to the US operations in Afghanistan for the period of January-June 2015,” Stump said.

“The Department recognises the significant sacrifices the Pakistan military has made in the fight against terrorism, and appreciates Pakistan’s continued support for transit of materiel to coalition forces in Afghanistan,” he said.

“Disbursement of the remaining $350 million requires the Secretary of Defence to certify that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani Network. The Secretary has not yet made a decision on certification,” Stump said.

For the first time in 2016, then Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter had declined to certify that Pakistan met the requirement, resulting in the loss of $300 million fund to it. PTI