Aid to Pak: US panel votes for tougher benchmarks

Washington, July 20 

In another blow to Pakistan, a key congressional panel has voted to adopt tougher benchmarks for it to receive US aid and authorised the Secretary of State to suspend it if Islamabad fails to act against terror groups carrying out cross-border attacks into neighbouring countries.

The House Appropriations Committee yesterday approved by voice vote the 2018 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, which seeks certification from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for disbursement of US aid to Pakistan, making it conditional for Islamabad to take action against terrorist groups.

The Bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. It provides $47 billion in regular discretionary and Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding. This is $10 billion fewer than the amount earmarked for fiscal year 2017.

Under the Bill, the Secretary of State is asked to certify that Pakistan is cooperating with the US in counter-terrorism efforts against the Haqqani network, the Quetta Shura Taliban, Lashkar-i-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Al-Qaida, and others, including taking effective steps to prevent such terrorist groups from basing and operating in Pakistan and carrying out cross-border attacks into neighbouring countries. — PTI

Move to restore US aid for Tibet 

• Reversing the Trump administration’s move to slash aid to Tibetans to zero, a key congressional committee has approved a Bill to maintain the US policy of providing funds for Tibet and support “democracy and human rights programmes” in the Chinese-ruled region.
• The administration, in its maiden budget proposal in May, had cut the US aid to Tibet to zero, resulting in a huge disappointment to the large Tibetan community around the world over the U-turn in America’s decades-old policy.
• The House Appropriations Committee said it “continues to support democracy and human rights programmes for Tibet” and that “not less than the amounts provided in fiscal year 2017” be continued for such purposes.