Washington: The Pentagon will not make the remaining military reimbursements to Pakistan for fiscal year 2016 after US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress Islamabad had not taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network, a US official said on Friday.
"The funds could not be released to the Government of Pakistan at this time because the secretary could not certify that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani Network per the requirement in the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act," Adam Stump, a Pentagon spokesman, told Reuters.
The decision comes as President Donald Trump's administration is exploring potentially hardening its approach toward Pakistan to crack down on terrorists launching strikes in neighbouring Afghanistan.
"This decision does not prejudge the conclusions of the White House review of South Asia strategy, which is still ongoing," Stump said.
Relations between the two countries have been frayed over the past decade, with US officials frustrated by what they term Islamabad's unwillingness to act against Islamist groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.
This is not the first time the Pentagon has decided not to make military reimbursements. Last year, the Pentagon withheld $300 million in reimbursements.
Pakistan has been reimbursed $550 million of the $900 million the country was authorized to receive in fiscal year 2016.
Out of remainder, $300 million had already been reprogrammed for other purposes, but had not been previously reported. Mattis' latest decision affects the remaining $50 million.
The amount is under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), a US Defence Department program to reimburse allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Andrea Ricci)
"The funds could not be released to the Government of Pakistan at this time because the secretary could not certify that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani Network per the requirement in the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act," Adam Stump, a Pentagon spokesman, told Reuters.
The decision comes as President Donald Trump's administration is exploring potentially hardening its approach toward Pakistan to crack down on terrorists launching strikes in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Relations between the two countries have been frayed over the past decade, with US officials frustrated by what they term Islamabad's unwillingness to act against Islamist groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.
Advertisement
Pakistan has been reimbursed $550 million of the $900 million the country was authorized to receive in fiscal year 2016.
Advertisement
The amount is under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), a US Defence Department program to reimburse allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations.
Advertisement
© Thomson Reuters 2017
COMMENTS
Advertisement
US Delegation To Visit Pakistan As Two Countries Seek To Repair Ties Terror Group Haqqani Network Helped Al Qaeda Chief Ayman al-Zawahiri Hide: Report Will Look At Ways To Advance Ties: US State Department On Pakistan 150 mg Semen In Kolkata Doctor's Body, Suspect Gang-Rape: Parents To Court 2 French Rafale Jets Collide Mid-Air, Instructor, Pilot Missing Vandalism At Kolkata Hospital Where Doctor Was Raped, Tear Gas Fired "Targeted Violence Against Hindus...": Vivek Ramaswamy On Bangladesh Unrest Probe Reveals Brazil Plane Crashed One Minute After Pilots Sensed Trouble "Strictest Punishment For Crimes Against Women": PM Amid Kolkata Protests Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.