Kerry grants $1.5 billion to Pak, ignores his own law on terror

Pakistan eligible for aid under the Kerry-Lugar Bill as it gets clean chit certificate

GN BUREAU | January 5, 2015



This is not fiction but a US government document. And it reads like this: Pakistan government and military have “ceased support” to extremist and terror groups, that they have “prevented” groups like the LeT and JeM from operating in Pakistan, and carrying out attacks against its neighbours, while dismantling their bases in Muridke, FATA and Quetta.

Can anyone believe this kind of declaration? Well, US secretary of state John Kerry himself is the author of this document that guarantees $1.5 billion civilian aid to Pakistan.

Kerry has certified that the Pakistani government has 'acted' terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

The certification makes Pakistan eligible for aid under the Kerry-Lugar Bill, reports said Monday. The Bill, whose author was Kerry himself, makes it mandatory that 'actions against terror groups' must be fulfilled by the Pakistani government to be eligible for aid from the US.

Incidentally, Kerry is scheduled to lead his country’s delegation to Vibrant Gujarat summit to be held next week and president Barack Obama is coming to India for the republic day function.

Passed by the US Congress in 2010, the Kerry-Luager Bill was proposed by John Kerry and Richard Lugar. It authorises the release of $1.5 billion per year to the Pakistan as non-military aid for the period of 2010-2014.

With Kerry certifying the 'action' taken by Pakistan against al Qaeda, Taliban and other terror groups like the LeT and JeM, Obama is expected to clear the payment soon.

The grant of further aid will surely not go well with India as Pakistan has not moved an inch on reigning in terror bosses like Hafiz Saeed of the JeM, much to India's discomfort. It also went reluctantly to higher court to block release of Mumbai attack accused Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi from Rawalpindi jail.

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