US billion-dollar aid freeze on Pakistan
January 06, 2018
The US has said it is suspending at least $900 million in security assistance to Pakistan until Islamabad acts against the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network militants.
The volume of suspended aid touches $1.15 billion if a freeze formally announced earlier this week is included. A White House official said the amount could total $2 billion.
Pakistan said the impact of the suspension on the pursuit of common objectives was likely to emerge in due course. The statement has prompted some analysts to wonder whether Islamabad would retaliate by choking communication lines that the US relies on for operations in Afghanistan.
The US made it clear that the suspension had nothing to do with Pakistan failing to act against the alleged 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed.
"We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that," state department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.
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