Trump seeks $336m from Congress for Pakistan aid

–US president unveils $4 trillion budget, proposes $256m in civilian assistance, $80m in military aid for Pakistan

–Budgetary proposal says military aid to country depends on action against alleged terror havens

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled a $4 trillion annual budget for the new fiscal year, proposing $256 million in civilian assistance and $80 million in military aid to Pakistan.

The aid proposal for Pakistan comes weeks after the Trump administration suspended nearly $2 billion in security assistance to Islamabad. The White House has said it would consider lifting the freeze if it sees action by Pakistan against militant groups.

The annual budgetary proposals sent by the White House to the Congress says the military aid depends on Pakistan taking action against terrorist safe havens.

“The budget requests $256 million for Pakistan in economic and other assistance to help increase stability, promote economic growth and create opportunities for US businesses,” said the annual budgetary proposals sent by the White House to the Congress.

“In addition, the budget requests $80 million in Foreign Military Financing assistance to enhance Pakistan’s counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency capabilities, contingent on Pakistan taking appropriate action to expand cooperation in areas where US-Pakistan interests converge and to address areas of divergence, in line with the administration’s South Asia strategy,” the White House said.

The inclusion of request in the budget proposals highlights the US administration’s intentions to improve relations with Pakistan after President Trump, earlier this year, accused the latter of providing safe havens to Afghan militants. As a result, Pakistan’s security aid was also suspended.

The budget furthers the US goal of a stable and secure South Asia by supporting the Afghan government and security forces in their fight against the Taliban insurgents and militant organisations such as al Qaeda and Islamic State. It requests more than $5 billion for continued US training and assistance for the Afghan security forces and would enable US forces to conduct counter-terrorism operations to ensure that the region cannot be used by militant, terrorist groups to plot transnational attacks against the US homeland, citizens overseas, or allies and partners.

“The budget also continues to include funding to support America’s partnership with Pakistan,” the proposal read.

Earlier, the Pentagon unveiled a mammoth budget proposal for fiscal 2019 that would see a more than 10 per cent boost in spending and add thousands more troops across the US military services.

The $686 billion spending plan – up from $612 billion in 2018 – is framed in the context of the Pentagon’s new national defense strategy, and comes in stark contrast to the State Department’s budget, which calls for steep cuts in spending on aid and diplomacy.

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis has warned of a new “Great Power” competition with Russia and China and wants to increase the size of the military, introduce new ships and weapons, and improve readiness – all while operating across multiple theaters in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

The budget from President Donald Trump’s administration calls for an additional 25,900 troops, as well as major investments in aircraft, ships, ground systems and missile defense.

The State Department, meanwhile, published its own budget proposal for 2019 calling for deep cuts, though Congress has already dismissed the idea as a non-starter.