US Cuts Pak Aid by $440M

3 weeks before Pak PM Imran Khan’s planned visit to Washington, USA has slashed aid to the cash-strapped country by $440 million. Last year, USA had cancelled $300 million worth of aid. There have been rising concerns that Pak has been misappropriating the aid and not doing enough to tackle terrorism.

Crux of the Matter

1. Since the start of the War in Afghanistan, the majority of the foreign aid to Pakistan comes from the United States for counter-terrorism operations.

2. There have been concerns that Pakistan has been misusing these funds to cover for internal deficits due to misgovernance while tacitly supporting terror groups.

3. It must be noted that Osama bin Laden was also found by US forces hiding close to the Pakistani capital.

4. Over the past few years, USA has been consistently cutting their aid to Pakistan. US president Trump had recently accused Pak of being subversive to the war on terror.

Curiopedia

USA’s Financial Aid to Pakistan – Between 2002–2011, US Congress approved $18 billion in military and economic aid from the United States. However the Pakistan Treasury only received $8.647 billion in direct financial payments. Western officials have claimed nearly 70% (roughly $3.4 billion) of military aid has been misspent in 2002–2007 and used to cover civilian deficit. More Info

Curated Coverage

1. Firstpost – US slashes financial aid to Pakistan by nearly $440 million; Imran Khan informed about decision three weeks before Washington visit

2. ANI – Pak was subversive, going against us: Trump on cancelled $1.3bn aid (July 2019)

3. DNA – Imran Khan’s Trump card flops, Pakistan loses $440 million

#Geopolitics #Pakistan #USA #World