August 05, 2008	Tuesday	Sha'aban 2, 1429

WASHINGOTN, Aug 4: A bill proposing to triple non-military aid to Pakistan cannot be passed by the current Congress and may have to be reintroduced in the next Congress after the US presidential election on Nov 4.

But congressional sources told Dawn that the lawmakers may approve this week a request from the US administration to provide $78 million to Pakistan for upgrading F-16 aircraft.

Pakistan needs this fund for an immediate payment for upgrading its aging fleet of F-16 fighter jets purchased in the 1980s.

On July 24, the US State Department confirmed that the administration had decided to shift $230 million from counter-terrorism funds to allow Pakistan to upgrade the aircraft.

Pakistan has to pay a total of $300 million for the upgrading but informed Washington last month that it may not be able to do so because of financial constraints. It asked to be allowed to use money from counter-terrorism funds for this purpose.

While this request for meeting an immediate need is likely to be approved this week, congressional sources say that a larger legislation proposing $15 billion of US assistance to Pakistan in next 10 years cannot be approved by the current Congress.

The 110th Congress completes its current session this week and will reconvene in September, after a month long recess. The September session will be short, between two or three weeks, and is unlikely to take up a major legislative business during the so-called lame-duck session.

It disperses for the US presidential election after the September session and meets again in January for a brief session devoted to domestic issues.

Congressional sources noted that the first instalment of $1.5 billion of annual aid under this new measure is set for appropriation in the 2010 budget, which will be presented before Congress in February 2009.

The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved the bill last week but it still has to go to a full Senate and to the House of Representatives.

Congressional observers noted that since the bill enjoys a bipartisan support, they believe it will ultimately be approved. The White House also has pledged to support the move.

The bill’s sponsors include Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama of Illinois as well as Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden of Delaware and its senior Republican member, Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana.

The US presidential candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, too have outlined plans to defeat terrorism in Afghanistan by making Pakistan the focus of the fight

The bill proposes tripling of non-military aid to Pakistan to $7.5 billion over five years, which can be extended for another period of five years. The proposal, however, links security aid of around $1 billion annually to counter-terrorism performance.

“Our bill represents a genuine sea-change-one which will set the US-Pakistan policy on a safer and more successful course,” said its authors Senators Biden and Lugar.