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Zardari for disbursement of support funds
By: Haq Nawaz | Published: September 02, 2009
ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday called upon the United States to expedite reimbursement of the 1.6 billion dollars of the outstanding payments in Coalition Support Fund (CSF), early passage of the Kerry-Lugar Bill and the legislation to set up Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (RoZs) in the war affected areas of Pakistan.
Inordinate delays in the reimbursement of CSF claims were not conducive for the continued fight against militancy, the President told a 3-member US delegation of Senate at the Presidency.
He insisted, “The US lawmakers should help speeding up the process of providing assistance in energy sector and also the proposed package of 2.5 billion dollars undertaken for the rehabilitation of reconstruction of the internally displaced persons.”
Briefing the media about the meeting, Spokesman to the President Farhatullah Babar said that President Zardari sought personal intervention of the visiting senators in expediting the reimbursement process and also in the supply of critically needed equipment including the gunship helicopters.
The Senators who called on the President included Carl Levin and Jack Reed both of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee and Senator Edward Kaufman, Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, US Ambassador in Islamabad Anne W Patterson and senior officials accompanying the US senators were also present at the meeting.
The meeting was also attended by Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nawabzada Malik Ahmad Khan, Secretary General Salman Faruqui, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, Senator Syeda Sughra Imam and Secretary Defence besides senior officials of the Foreign Office.
Farhatullah Babar quoted the President as the saying, “The payment of outstanding amount in the support funds is important for the security forces to continue the ongoing military operation against the militants.”
Zardari for disbursement of support funds | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online