The United States said on Wednesday that “no decision” has been made on the transfer of the next tranche of Coalition Support Fund (CSF) payments to Pakistan.
“We have certainly not taken future security assistance off the table and Pakistan continues to be a high priority counterterrorism and defense partner for the US,” said Defence Department Spokesperson Major Roger M Cabiness.
“No decision has been made with respect to the CSF,” Cabiness said.
The statement came days after reports emerged that the US may withhold hundreds of millions of dollars owed to Pakistan for its efforts in the war against terror over concerns that its military is not doing enough to crack down on the Haqqani Network.
Quoting US and Pakistani officials, the report said that the Pentagon recently informed Islamabad that it may withhold the final payment of $300 million under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) if the US defense secretary cannot certify sufficient action against the insurgent group responsible for some of the bloodiest attacks on foreign forces in Afghanistan.
While reiterating US support to Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts, Cabiness said, “Pakistan has suffered at the hands of terrorists and violent extremists, and the United States will continue to work closely with Pakistan to achieve our shared goal of defeating violent extremists to ensure the safety of our people today and in the future.”
Claiming that Pakistan is one of the largest recipients of US Foreign Military Financing globally, the spokesperson said the US has delivered over $13 billion under CSF to Pakistan since 2002.
Further, he said the CSF is a demonstration of American commitment to supporting Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate terrorist threats in the country.
Responding to a question, Cabiness said, “We are now in discussions with the Government of Pakistan about what shape that assistance takes going forward beyond 2016 and how we might best support Pakistan’s ongoing fight against terrorism and strengthen regional security.”
