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WASHINGTON, June 25 (APP):
With a unanimous vote, the U.S. Senate Wednesday passed the Kerry-Lugar Bill to
authorize $ 1.5 billion in economic assistance annually for Pakistan over five
years as a demonstration of
America’s
broad-based commitment to the Pakistani people and stability of the country. “Pakistan is facing a critical moment, and today the Senate
has made a clear bipartisan commitment to replace an atmosphere of mutual
distrust and lack of accountability with a broad-based, durable commitment to
Pakistan and its people,” said Senator John Kerry, lead author and chairman of
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
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The measure is named after Democratic Senator John Kerry
and top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Richard Lugar.
Kerry looked forward to working with the House “which earlier this month passed
its own expansive version of the measure (PEACE Act)” “to get this important
bill to the White House for the President’s signature.”
The Senate measure advocates an additional $7.5 billion
economic assistance for
Pakistan
over the subsequent five years and de-links military from non-military aid. The
bill subjects security assistance to a certification by Secretary of the State
that the Pakistani government is using the money to combat the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
However, contrastingly with the House version that seeks to
attach some strings to
Pakistan aid - the
Kerry-Lugar bill is seen by experts as less restrictive and more flexible.
Pakistani officials welcomed the bipartisan expression of
support for their country and hoped that reconciled version of the measure would
not contain any strict conditions.
“This legislation marks an important step toward sustained
economic and political cooperation with
Pakistan, while establishing
mechanisms to help ensure that funds are spent efficiently,” Senator Lugar said.
With the measure, Senators Kerry and Lugar aim to help
transform the relationship between the
U.S. and Pakistan: instead of
a transactional, tactically-driven set of short-term exercises in
crisis-management, a summary of the bill released Wednesday said.
“Kerry and Lugar aim to build a deeper, broader, long-term
strategic engagement with the people (and not just the leaders) of this vitally
important nation. The Kerry-Lugar approach towards Pakistan emphasizes a
long-term relationship built on mutual trust and cooperation: only then will the
people of Pakistan see the United States as an ally with shared interests and
goals, such as defeating militant extremists that threaten the national security
of both countries,” according to a summary of the bill.
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