The Obama administration has proposed $860 million in aid for Pakistan, including $265 million for military hardware, which it said would help the country fight terrorists, secure nuclear weapons and improve ties with India.
While there was no mention of Pakistan in President Barack Obama’s budgetary proposals, Secretary of State John Kerry in his proposals said the budget includes $859.8 million towards sustaining ties with Pakistan and making progress to “disrupt, dismantle and defeat violent extremist groups“.
“Pakistan lies at the heart of the U.S. counter-terrorism strategy, the peace process in Afghanistan, nuclear non-proliferation efforts, and economic integration in South and Central Asia,” State Department said making its case for the aid to Pakistan under the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund. — PTI
