July 16, 2008	Wednesday	Rajab 12, 1429

WASHINGTON, July 15: Two top US senators on Tuesday formally introduced a landmark legislation seeking to triple non-military assistance to Pakistan over the next five years.

Besides seeking Pakistan’s cooperation in the war against terror, the bill also seeks a certification from the US secretary of state that the Pakistani military is “not materially interfering in the political or judicial processes of Pakistan.”

“Our bill represents a genuine sea-change -- one which will set the US-Pakistan policy on a safer and more successful course,” said Senator Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who, along with the ranking Republican member Richard Lugar unveiled the legislation on Tuesday.

The bill triples non-military aid to Pakistan and sustains it over five years but also calls for linking military aid to Pakistan’s progress in the war against terror.

Specifically, the bill authorises $7.5 billion over five years in aid that can be used for development purposes, such as building schools, roads and clinics.

The legislation calls for greater accountability on security assistance to improve Pakistan’s counter-terrorism capabilities and ensure more effective efforts against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

See the Fact Sheet below for information on the legislation.

Key provisions:

1. The bill authorises $7.5 billion over the next 5 fiscal years ($1.5 billion annually) in non-military aid. It advocates an additional $7.5 billion over the subsequent 5 years.

2. It conditions US military aid on certification by the secretary of state that Pakistani security forces are:

— Making concerted efforts to prevent Al Qaeda and associated terrorist groups from operating in the territory of Pakistan;

Making concerted efforts to prevent the Taliban from using the territory of Pakistan as a sanctuary from which to launch attacks within Afghanistan; and

Not materially interfering in the political or judicial processes of Pakistan.

3. The bill urges a reorientation of engagement towards the Pakistani people rather than merely towards the Pakistani government (civilian or military).

4. It urges accountability and transparent reporting of Coalition Support Funds.

5. The bill directs the secretary of state (in consultation with other named officials) to develop a comprehensive strategy for the Afghan-Pakistan border area.

Non-military aid: This is the heart of the bill -- shifting the centre of gravity in the US-Pakistan relationship from military to non-military engagement. The bill authorises a figure more than triple the current levels of non-military funding.

To insure that the aid reaches the people directly, as much as possible goes directly to projects such as improving the secular educational system, building clinics, drilling wells, reforming police. Some of this money would be used in the border areas, but it would be available for projects throughout Pakistan.

The ten-year timeframe (5 years authorised, 5 years advocated) is intended to address persistent Pakistani fear that the US is interested only in a short-term tactical (and highly transactional) relationship.

The $1.5 billion annual authorisation is intended not merely to enable measurable progress, but to signal a serious shift in policy: a true break with the policy of the past that provides some insulation from the vagaries of the budgetary process.

Military aid conditions: These conditions incorporate longstanding US demands for increased Pakistani cooperation against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, and for the military to refrain from interference in the democratic process.

They provide powerful leverage for the US administration to regulate military aid to Pakistan.