A conservative senator called Tuesday for the United States to suspend all aid to Pakistan and grant citizenship to a doctor who was jailed for helping hunt down Osama bin Laden.
American lawmakers have already sought to cut or freeze some assistance to Pakistan, the third largest recipient of US aid, after a tribal court last week sentenced CIA recruit Shakeel Afridi to 33 years in prison on treason charges.
Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky and leader of the Tea Party movement, proposed going further by ending all aid to Pakistan until Afridi’s sentence is overturned and also granting the doctor US citizenship.
“Pakistan must understand that they are choosing the wrong side,” said Paul, who pledged to introduce the bill when the Senate returns to session next week.
“They accuse Dr. Afridi of working against Pakistan, but he was simply helping the US capture the head of Al-Qaeda. Surely Pakistan is not linking their interests with those of an international terrorist organization,” Paul said in a statement.
The US Constitution under Article 1 gives Congress the right to set a “uniform rule of naturalization,” but it is unusual in modern times for lawmakers to consider citizenship for individuals other than honorary titles.
The United States has provided more than $18 billion to Pakistan since the September 11, 2001 attacks when Islamabad agreed to turn against Afghanistan’s Taliban and back the US war effort.
But US officials fear that elements of Pakistan’s powerful military and intelligence services still support extremists — concerns reinforced when US forces killed Osama bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad last year.
Leading members of both major US parties supported a 2009 bill that authorized $1.5 billion a year to Pakistan to promote civilian infrastructure and democratic institutions in the nuclear-armed nation.
US President Barack Obama, a Democrat, has also voiced impatience with Pakistan. He refused to hold substantive talks with President Asif Ali Zardari at a recent NATO summit in Chicago as Pakistan has not reopened its border with neighboring Afghanistan, stopping supplies from reaching international troops.
Its good for Pakistan in long term, this will let us talk in a better way rather than in appealing or requesting attitude
Pakistani Public ko nahi chahye Aid….kaminay smbhaal k rakh….
Public ko to nahin milti aur na chaheya lakin hukamranor, siyastdano, gernalon aur Govt officers ko to chaheye. Aakhir unkay bachay aur paisay bahar hi to rahtay hain…Waisay haqeeqat yeh hay kay agar aaj USA govt lottery khol day to aadhay Pakistani apply ker daingain….Aap bhi aur mein bhi…
u r welcome….
Stop the Aid? The best thing that could ever happen to Pakistan.the only people who benefit from this so called Aid is these corrupt politicians.
G.Khan
UK
Politicians are corrupt. It does not suffice to only criticise them. The whole society is corrupt. Everybody has to rid himself of this menace. Corruption of others should not be an excuse to indulge in it. At the end of the day, we the common people are the ones who elect these politicians. So, the ultimate responsibility rests on our shoulders.
please do it, we do not need your aid. we have everything in PAKISTAN.
USA is the most untrustworthy alliance. When it comes to international relations, they have no scruples. Whatever, we do for them, they will only use us and then as usual, ditch us. We must learn to live without them. We must not extend any co-operation in Afghanistan. We should be prepared to eat grass but not offer our services to them. The only thing we need is from our people to pay their due taxes and we will not need a single penny from anybody. At the same time we must rid ourselves of corruption. Every citizen should decide not to be corrupt. Corruption of others should not be an excuse to indulge in it. If we follow these two simple suggestions, we will be well on our way to becoming truly independent. On the other hand if we do not pay our taxes honestly and indulge in corruption because others are corrupt in our society, then we are doomed and Americans will have all the power to blackmail us.
Whatever you are suggesting is quite the right path for a soveriegn and 'Ghairatmand' nation. BUT it is perplexing for me to understand that all the time you people talk of 'eating grass'. I think, naturally, grass is your staple diet.
what aid, thats already suspended, why these lunatic senetors trying to make media stories for aid they havent paid since 2 years and equals to 1 month expense in Afghanistan they are paying.
Also compare this suspended 1.5 billion per year to 14 billion sent by overseas Pakistanis alone!
surely Pakistan doesnt need this and can sustain without this and this is just media tool used by US to put pressure on Pakistan, plus Pakistan will not have to fight this war on terror for US.
histroy again repeating itself, they have used Pakistan again for own purpose and now leaving again Pakistan high and dry as they did in 80's after soviet war. The result was chaos in Afghanistan and rise of Taliban.
no need of any support from any country. Pakistan need good and fair Government.
I think if we bring Nawaz Sharif into power, he can bring the change in this country. So vote for Mian Nawaz Shareef and Pakistan will be on the right Path. No one can divide the votes of PMLN.
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