US gives USD 255 mn conditional aid to Pak

The Trump administration has notified Congress that it will give Pakistan USD 255 million worth of conditional military assistance if it takes more action against internal terror groups launching attacks on neighbouring Afghanistan, according to a media report.

The announcement comes over a week after President Donald Trump hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to terror groups that kill American soldiers in Afghanistan. He also warned Pakistan that it has “much to lose” by harbouring terrorists.

The Trump administration notified Congress on Wednesday that it was putting USD 255 million in military assistance to Pakistan into the equivalent of an escrow account that Islamabad can only access if it does more to crack down on internal terror networks launching attacks on neighbouring Afghanistan, The New York Times reported.

An escrow account is an account of conditional deposition where the funds are kept blocked until the preagreed conditions are met.

The move comes, at a time when the relationship between the two countries have strained.

Pakistan has cancelled at least three high profile meetings with senior American officials, including a visit of Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif to the US to meet Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Pakistan National Assembly passed a resolution alleging that the recent statements of the US President and his senior officials on Pakistan were hostile and threatening.

The US, however, insists that it wants Pakistan to take action against terrorist groups.

According to the report, State Department officials have said Trump’s promised changes will bring “explicit” conditions on military aid.

“Once Pakistan more aggressively pursues the Taliban and Haqqani network, the aid will be released — a determination to be made by Secretary of State Tillerson,” officials were quoted by the report as saying. –PTI