WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump?s decision to
freeze aid to Pakistan
could affect almost two
billion dollars? worth of assistance, a
senior administration
official said on Friday -- substantially more than first thought.
After an announcement designed to force Pakistan?s military and intelligence apparatus to cut support for the Taliban and other Islamist groups, the
official said that both US military assistance and Afghanistan coalition funding to Islamabad
could be suspended. It is "approximately two
billion worth of equipment and coalition support funding that is in play," the
official said on condition of anonymity.
After more than a decade of simmering US anger at links between Islamabad and the Taliban and the Haqqani network, President Donald Trump is trying to draw a line in the sand. On the hook is almost $1
billion of US military equipment that has allowed Pakistan access to advanced military technology, but also funding that is meant to pay Pakistan for helping get US and Nato materiel into Afghanistan.
Analysts believe the United States is highly unlikely to
freeze all that funding, which totals $1.9 billion, according to the source. US officials have already indicated that there
could be "exemptions" for programmes deemed vital to US national security -- likely including cash for keeping Pakistan?s nuclear weapons safe.But nevertheless, the total figure of $1.9
billion is much higher than first indicated and is a signal of Washington?s seriousness. The
senior administration
official said "all options are on the table" when it comes to further moves, including stripping Pakistan of its status as a "major non-Nato ally" or calling in vital IMF loans.
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