News
Thursday, May 17, 2012
White House opposes restrictions on Pak aidWASHINGTON: The White House has strongly opposed recent congressional moves to impose restrictions on reimbursement of Coalition Support Funds for Pakistan as well as requirements of certification.
Reacting to a series of proposals made by the House Armed Services Committee in National Defence Authorisation (NDAA) for the fiscal year 2013, the White House budget office objected to several of the proposals.
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) argued that limiting reimbursement of funds for Pakistan at such a sensitive time would have negative repercussions for counter-terrorism efforts in the region.
“The administration strongly objects to the restriction in reimbursement for Pakistan from Coalition Support Funds and the associated certification requirements in Section 1211,” the OMB said in a statement.
Taken together, the reimbursement and certification restrictions – some of which require the US defence secretary to certify Pakistani cooperation on issues outside of his purview – are proposed at a particularly sensitive time and would severely constrict the Defence Department’s ability to respond to emergent wartime coalition support requirements, putting at risk the success of the Afghan campaign, and increasing the risk that al Qaeda and its associates would be able to again enjoy a safe haven in Pakistan, the statement added. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk