(CNN) – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a major aid package for Pakistan on Monday – with hundreds of millions of dollars pledged on projects to address the country’s water and power shortage, and its floundering economy.
Clinton made the announcement at the beginning of a day-long “strategic dialogue” in Islamabad on the second day of her visit to the South Asian country.
The projects, which Clinton called “long-term investment in Pakistan’s future,” include the construction of several dams, improvements to hydroelectric power plants and the country’s power grid, and the construction or renovation of three medical facilities.
The United States will also invest $100 million to expand access to credit for small and medium-sized businesses, and provide $50 million to support investments in innovation and technology projects, she said.
The projects will be funded by the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act that authorizes $7.5 billion in development aid to Pakistan over the next five years.
“This is a long term process to get Pakistan what it needs in terms of energy. This is a 15-year project,” a U.S. official said on Sunday. The official did not want to be named because the comments were made ahead of Monday’s official announcement.
In the past year, the United States has started engaging Pakistan more, according to Vali Nasr, a senior adviser to Richard Holbrooke – the U.S. special representative for the region.
The process included Clinton’s visit to the nation last October, and that trip was followed by various high-level visits that have made Pakistan more aware of U.S. intentions, said Nasr.
Anti-American sentiment is widespread in Pakistan, and the United States hopes to build more trust between the two countries.
But there is “a huge trust gap” that won’t be overcome quickly, Nasr said.
“We are not going to be able to change their foreign policy on a dime,” he said.
On Monday, Clinton said the two countries are making progress in overcoming their “trust deficit.”
“We are looking to establish broader, long-lasting collaboration,” she said. “We have commitment that is much broader and deeper than ever.”
Next, Clinton continues on to an international conference in the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, and stops in South Korea and Vietnam before heading home.
This is NOT good news. It just means more strings just came along and further demands are to be expected of Pakistan 'to do more'. Never mind the fact that public does not want anything to do with this aid.
we, pakistanis, say we are muslims, but yet to take this aid would be unislamic to the extent that even supporting this deal may send us into kufr (disbelief.) afaik
i'll say it here, the select tribal people appear to be following an uncompromising version of islam. within islam there is peaceful messages too, for these to take center stage you'll have to offer peace. in the Quranpak it says to the effect 'if they resort to peace, so shall you'
use your common belief in the Quran to make peace. it can also be used to obtain guarantees with regards to international terror. with these guarantees you have a strong political position with regards to the int'l community.
although its interesting to see pakistani elites put all their eggs in one basket as if there is no god (naudhubillah), the pakistani people (i assume) would not wish this form of politics even for monetary gain
This is NOT good news. It just means more strings just came along and further demands are to be expected of Pakistan 'to do more'. Never mind the fact that public does not want anything to do with this aid.
don't take the aid, are Americans forcing you?
What public you are talking about, this public wants basic of life which unfortunately all the generals/politics failed to delivered. We are incompetent.
Reality is if US/Europe/Arabs/Chinese/Japanese stop giving aid to us, the $ will shoot towards +200rs & our economy which is by the way more then half undocumented will be doomed.
Not ‘new money’. Only peanuts from Kerry Lugar Bill and even those should have been delivered much earlier. We have paid many more times than that in this ‘war on terror’.
…The money comes from the Kerry Lugar Berman Bill, which was voted into law last year. It allocates $1.5bn a year over five years in aid money to Pakistan…
^ because it was approved much before the royal visit. While Pakistan suffers in terms of human tragedies, political instability and economic devastation because of the war thrust upon us, we should at least get compensated for a fraction of those losses and in a timely manner.
^ because it was approved much before the royal visit. While Pakistan suffers in terms of human tragedies, political instability and economic devastation because of the war thrust upon us, we should at least get compensated for a fraction of those losses and in a timely manner.
"Political instability & economic devastation" were there in Pakistan long before 9/11, evidence by Musharraf coming to power, the several coups before his etc.
I agree that the war significantly increased the human tragedy within Pakistan with the drone related collateral damage. But don't you think the entire drone strategy could have been avoided if Pakistani agencies had really collaborated with US/NATO to capture the terrorists and not let the border games be played?
more drones = more militants born = more death and destruction everywhere… the elite and their goons don’t understand this simple thing. ur dealing with simple minded people, treat them right then they will side with you, kill their families, they will kills yours.
SriSri, an indian, ur happy to see death and destruction in pakistan arnt u? well guess what, it’s no more news that indian agents are part of the problem. hopefully they will be executed in Afghanistan before they can run home.
Srisri, That has been discussed at length elsewhere.
You have to be living in Pakistan to know how much this 'war on terror' has effected our lives. True, all wasn't milk and sugar before, but not as devastating as now. It is easier for USA to come back in a decade and declare their 'assets' as 'terrorists' and bomb them a few continents away. Things get much more complicated when something like that happens in your backyard. There are always political ways of dealing with people like Taliban and they were never utilized. But then, that is another debate.
My only point being that american 'action' in Afghanistan has caused much more trouble in Pakistan than what we are being compensated for (if the compensation ever reaches the masses).