Notwithstanding media-hype claiming that Pakistan-US relations are on the verge of collapse, top economic managers are still banking on the financial assistance by Washington supposed to pour in under the Coalition Support Fund and the Kerry-Lugar Act.
According to Online sources, Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh was confident that at least half of over $4 billion committed funds must arrive within the current financial year. Reimbursement of over $3 billion was already overdue under the CSF while Pakistan had received not more than $263 million under the KLB Act as against $1.5 billion’s annual commitment.
The sources told Online that Sheikh who left for Dubai for talks with the IMF had advised President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to seek releases of the committed amounts as early as possible if the US wanted appeasement of Pakistani anger.
“The other side of the coin would be disastrous,” the sources said, adding that in case Pakistan reacted to the US unilateralism by saying no to the US financial assistance, the government would have to heavily tax the people.
