ISLAMABAD, May 1: The United States has released a grant of $50 million to Pakistan for border security and eradication of terrorism in the country, Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat told Dawn on Thursday.

The minister said the grant would be utilized in the fiscal year 2003-2004.

Mr Hayat said secretary to the ministry of interior Tasneem Noorani had recently visited the US to receive the grant.

The minister said the United States had already given a grant of $73m to Pakistan after Sept 11 attacks. This grant had been spent on border security also.

The fresh grant, he said, will be given in the shape of equipment required to check human and other smuggling at borders, cash and technical assistance.

Mr Hayat said his ministry will purchase three Cessna planes to keep better vigilance on borders. He said the country had already acquired five helicopters under the US grant.

Talking about technical assistance to be provided by the US, he said a team of 8 to 10 US experts would arrive here to impart technical training to the personnel of local law enforcement agencies specially on border security.

Responding to a question about banned religious outfits who have reportedly renamed to start functioning on their previous agendas in the country, the minister said the action was being taken against such organizations under Anti-Terrorism Act (ATC).

He said some of these organizations had become security threat to the country therefore the government had decided to take action against them.