Pakistan welcomes $700 million CSF reimbursement

Pakistan has welcomed Pentagon’s notification to US congress of reimbursing around $700 million of Coalition Support Fund (CSF) to Pakistan. “We welcome the decision of the US for reimbursing around $700 million to Pakistan under CSF and we will get the fund after 15 days,” a spokesman for the Finance Ministry said. He said Pakistan was under pressure due to its balance of payment position and the release of the CSF of around $700 million would help ease that. The spokesman further said Pakistan had received under CSF $1.12 billion in July 2012. Pakistan was utilizing most of the amount to support Pakistan Army troops for covering food, ammunition and other expenses in the fight against terrorism along the Pak-Afghan border, he remarked. “It is a welcome step on the part of US for reimbursing around $700 million to Pakistan and we welcome it,” he said. The Pentagon had notified Congress this month that it would reimburse Pakistan nearly $700 million for the cost of stationing 140,000 troops along the border with Afghanistan, the New York Times reported. The $688 million payment – the first since this summer – covering food, ammunition and other expenses from June through November 2011 was sent to Capitol Hill on December 7, according to the paper.