US Senate passes Kerry Lugar Bill on Pakistan aid by unanimous vote

WASHINGTON, June 25 (APP): With a unanimous vote, the U.S. Senate Wednesday passed the Kerry-Lugar Bill to authorize $ 1.5 billion in economic assistance annually for Pakistan over five years as a demonstration of America’s broad-based commitment to the Pakistani people and stability of the country. “Pakistan is facing a critical moment, and today the Senate has made a clear bipartisan commitment to replace an atmosphere of mutual distrust and lack of accountability with a broad-based, durable commitment to Pakistan and its people,” said Senator John Kerry, lead author and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The measure is named after Democratic Senator John Kerry and top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Richard Lugar. Kerry looked forward to working with the House “which earlier this month passed its own expansive version of the measure (PEACE Act)” “to get this important bill to the White House for the President’s signature.”

The Senate measure advocates an additional $7.5 billion economic assistance for Pakistan over the subsequent five years and de-links military from non-military aid. The bill subjects security assistance to a certification by Secretary of the State that the Pakistani government is using the money to combat the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

However, contrastingly with the House version that seeks to attach some strings to Pakistan aid - the Kerry-Lugar bill is seen by experts as less restrictive and more flexible.

Pakistani officials welcomed the bipartisan expression of support for their country and hoped that reconciled version of the measure would not contain any strict conditions.

“This legislation marks an important step toward sustained economic and political cooperation with Pakistan, while establishing mechanisms to help ensure that funds are spent efficiently,” Senator Lugar said.

With the measure, Senators Kerry and Lugar aim to help transform the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan: instead of a transactional, tactically-driven set of short-term exercises in crisis-management, a summary of the bill released Wednesday said.

“Kerry and Lugar aim to build a deeper, broader, long-term strategic engagement with the people (and not just the leaders) of this vitally important nation. The Kerry-Lugar approach towards Pakistan emphasizes a long-term relationship built on mutual trust and cooperation: only then will the people of Pakistan see the United States as an ally with shared interests and goals, such as defeating militant extremists that threaten the national security of both countries,” according to a summary of the bill.

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