US military aid to Pak may be linked to war on terror success
16 Jul 2008, 1306 Hrs

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Lahore, July 16 (ANI): A bill for military and economic aid to Pakistan has been placed before the United States Senate, suggesting that conditions should be placed on any military aid to the country, as well as advocating a threefold increase in economic aid.

Senator Joe Biden and Senator Logger presented the bill in the Senate, proposing an increase in Pakistan's unconditional non-military aid to 15 billion dollars in the next decade, or 1.5 billion dollars annually, the Geo News reported.

The same bill also suggests putting conditions on military aid to Pakistan and binds the Secretary of State to certify every year that the Pakistan Army is taking effective action against al Qaeda and Taliban and not intervening in any form in the country's judicial and political system.

Biden told media in Washington that the US wanted long-term relations with the people of Pakistan.

According to the channel, he also said that the US should not dictate Pakistan on the latter's policy in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and should give the new government a chance to govern the country without any external pressure.

Western powers have been alarmed by mounting casualties among troops in Afghanistan and by intelligence assessments that Al Qaeda could organise strikes on Western soil having regrouped in Tribal Areas under Taliban protection. (ANI)