US Senate resolution seeks review of aid package for Pakistan
By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Feb 8: A resolution introduced in the US Senate urges President George W. Bush to review all US aid packages to Pakistan to ensure that they promote democracy in the country.
The resolution, sponsored jointly by Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, describes the creation of “a free and democratic Pakistan” as one of the common goals shared by both countries to combat violent radicalism.
The resolution says that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s murder calls for a concerted effort to ensure that Pakistan returns to the democratic path.
The movers demand an independent investigation into the Bhutto murder and urge the Pakistani government to return to democracy by ensuring free and fair elections without further delays; releasing all political detainees; revoking restrictions on the press and free speech; and restoring a genuinely independent judiciary.
“Ms Bhutto’s assassination was a political thunderbolt and those of us who knew her personally have shared the loss felt by Pakistanis of all political outlooks,” said Senator Biden. “In the wake of this shocking act of terrorism, Pakistani democracy remains seriously threatened.”
He observed that this state of affair was not merely a matter of concern to Pakistan, but to the United States as well.
“Until the political crisis in Pakistan is resolved, no government in Islamabad will have the focus, the will, or the military and intelligence resources necessary to combat the threat of Al Qaeda terrorism and Taliban insurgency effectively,” he said.
“President Bush must review US foreign aid to the Pakistani government and make sure that all assistance is being used to promote democracy and prevent the rise of violent fundamentalism in Pakistan.”
