The US House of Representatives has voted in favour of tripling US aid to Pakistan to 1.5 billion dollars annually through the 2013 fiscal year.
The Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement Act or the PEACE Act does not mention India specifically but imposes stiff conditions on Pakistan, which are being opposed by Islamabad.
According to the bill, the conditions are that the US government must keep a detailed account of how Pakistan spends the money and seek proof that Pakistan is clamping down on extremists.
It also mentions that Pakistan does not support any person or group that conducts terror activities in Pakistan's neighboring countries.
The house bill also requires Pakistan to provide "direct access to Pakistani nationals" connected to proliferation networks.
It asks Pakistan to ensure transparency of and provide effective accountability for all United States assistance and reimbursements provided to Pakistan. And not support any person or group that conducts violence, sabotage, or other activities meant to instill fear or terror in Pakistan's neighboring countries.
The bill asks Pakistan dismantle supplier networks relating to the acquisition of nuclear weapons-related materials and provide direct access to Pakistani nationals associated with such networks.
Speaking on the bill, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Howard Berman said, "We are simply asking Pakistan to follow through with the commitments it has already made and in the process. We lay down an important marker that Congress will no longer provide a blank check."
House and Senate members will need to reconcile their two bills on aid to Pakistan, a process which could take time as the Senate foreign affairs committee is not in favor of strict regulation on US aid to Pakistan, as they believe too many restrictions will prove counter productive.
Meanwhile, the CIA Director Leon Panetta said they hope to capture Osama Bin Laden who they believe is still in Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters, he said, "One of our hopes is that the Pakistanis move in militarily, combined with our operations we may have a better chance."
Asked whether he was sure that Laden was in Pakistan, Panetta said that's the last information the CIA had, and that's still the case.
