US lawmakers freeze US$700 million to Pakistan

[Major Sam]

US Senate panel agreed to freeze aid to Pakistan over flow of improvised explosives to Afghanistan.


The leaders of a US House-Senate negotiating panel said on Monday they had agreed to freeze $700 million in US aid to Pakistan until it provides some assurances of assistance in the fight against improvised explosive devices in the region.

The explosive devices are among militants most effective weapons against US and coalition troops in Afghanistan. Many are made using ammonium nitrate, a common fertilizer shipped across the border from Pakistan. The freeze on US aid was agreed as part of a defense bill that is expected to be passed this week.

Dunya News: Pakistan:-US Senate panel agrees to freeze $700m aid to ****...

i really appreciate their, this bravo step

 

[Lankan Ranger]

US lawmakers freeze US$700 million to Pakistan!!!!

The leaders of a US House-Senate negotiating panel said on Monday they had agreed to freeze $700 million in US aid to Pakistan until it provides some assurances of assistance in the fight against improvised explosive devices in the region.

The explosive devices are among militants’ most effective weapons against US and coalition troops in Afghanistan.

Many are made using ammonium nitrate, a common fertilizer shipped across the border from Pakistan. The freeze on US aid was agreed as part of a defence bill that is expected to be passed this week.

The United States wants “assurances that Pakistan is countering improvised explosive devices in their country that are targeting our coalition forces,” Representative Howard McKeon, a House Republican, told reporters.

The United States has allocated some $20 billion in security and economic aid to Pakistan since 2001, much of it in the form of reimbursements for assistance in fighting militants.

But US lawmakers have expressed increasing frustration with Pakistan’s efforts in the war.

There have been numerous proposals to make US aid to Pakistan conditional on more cooperation in fighting militants such as the Haqqani network Washington believes operate out of Pakistan and battle US troops in Afghanistan.

US lawmakers allege that many Afghan bombs are made with fertilizer smuggled by militants across the border from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

“The vast majority of the material used to make improvised explosive devices used against US forces in Afghanistan originates from two fertilizer factories inside Pakistan,” Senator John McCain, a Republican, said in the Senate last week.

The provision freezing $700 million in aid to Pakistan was agreed upon by leaders of the armed services committees from both parties in the House and Senate, including McCain. It is part of compromise legislation authorising US defence programs expected to be approved this week, McKeon said.

He said the bill would also require the Pentagon to deliver a strategy for improving the effectiveness of US aid to Pakistan.

US lawmakers freeze $700 mln to Pakistan | World | DAWN.COM

 

[VelocuR]

Don't give us "!!!!!!", it is not surprised, we appreciated their freeze aids.

Indeed, big victory for Pakistan!

No more ‘tax holiday’: Pakistan to end tax breaks for NATO trucks

Pakistan is considering charging “millions of dollars” in taxes on Nato trucks and tankers which pass through Pakistan on their way to Afghanistan under what was previously a ‘verbal understanding’.

There had been no official agreement with the US or Nato regarding the use of Pakistani land and facilities, an official of the defence ministry told the BBC.

The senior officer said that there was neither any tax nor a fee for the use of Pakistani ports and storage facilities.

Pakistan’s fragile alliance with the US crashed to new lows after November 26, when Nato air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in what Islamabad said was a deliberate attack.

Islamabad sealed its Afghan border to Nato convoys, closures that entered a 17th day on Monday, forcing trucks back to Karachi.

The move was part of a list of recommendations passed by a parliamentary committee following the attacks.

Another official of the defence ministry, who chose to stay anonymous, said that the parliamentary committee also recommended that a tax be imposed on oil supplies to Nato as is imposed on every litre sold to Pakistanis.

“Pakistan will now impose tax on Nato supplies in light of the international conventions and practices, which will give the national exchequer billions of rupees of income,” he added.

Replying to a question, he said that the issue of any tax on the US or Nato supplies never came up during the last decade. He said that it was practically a kind of a ‘tax holiday’ for Nato and the USA.

He further said that recently when containers carrying supplies for Nato were attacked, the Frontier Corps was called to protect them without any payment.

Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit also confirmed that he was not aware of any agreement between Pakistan and Nato or the US regarding the use of Pakistani land, ports and other facilities for the supply of goods through Turkham or Chaman.

Communications Minister Arbab Alamgir recently said that the use of roads by Nato containers put an extra burden on Pakistani roads and, thus, have inflicted the national exchequer a loss of $1b, according to a survey completed two years ago.

He said that Pakistani roads suffer a damage of Rs20 to 25 billion every year as daily about 350 to 400 containers pass through Chaman or Turkahm border to Afghanistan.

He said that the issue was raised with the US through ministry of foreign affairs but it remained unanswered.

No more

 

[somebozo]

this 700 Million keeps the corrupt elite like zardari and geelani in power..much like the US aid kept the dictator zia into power for 11 years and pushed the nation into the worst ever terrorism crisis. In Brazil durin the 60's the same USAID helped topple a democratic government and install dictatorship in place. Pakistan is better off without this rubbish aid.

This nonsense WOT has not become an equal war engagement for Pakistan sort of like a forced committment!

 

[TruthSeeker]

Indeed, big victory for Pakistan!

Yes, indeed. AND, that's $700 million less that we'll have to borrow from the PRC. So, it's a big victory for the USA, too!!! Hey, why don't you ask the PRC for the $700 million they were going to loan us, and cut us out as the middleman?

 

[VelocuR]

Yes, indeed. AND, that's $700 million less that we'll have to borrow from the PRC. So, it's a big victory for the USA, too!!! Hey, why don't you ask the PRC for the $700 million they were going to loan us, and cut us out as the middleman?

lol, sound like you are real angry old man! It was not good week for US despite drones down, NATO supplies cut, Shami Base, new Tax, and great news $700 millions.

wanna beer?

 

[FireFighter]

Pakistan is considering taxing NATO supplies and cargo so this was very well expected. I think instead of banning the NATO supplies, we should tax their supplies in tens of billions thereby making the transit route extremely expensive or almost unaffordable.

That would be a good slap to the senators.

 

[21 Dec 2012]

Only 700 mn
I thought they would have stopped it completely after the blockade

 

[iPhone]

Good, finally we're getting somewhere.

 

[Lankan Ranger]

http://www.defence.pk/forums/pakist...iday-pakistan-end-tax-breaks-nato-trucks.html

 

[OrionHunter]

The leaders of a US House-Senate negotiating panel said on Monday they had agreed to freeze $700 million in US aid to Pakistan until it provides some assurances of assistance in the fight against improvised explosive devices using ammonium nitrate, a common fertilizer in the region.

WTF? A nuclear super power with tons of weapon grade plutonium and Uranium having megatons of destructive power to blow the world to smithereens six times over is sh!t scared of a little ammonium nitrate, a common fertilizer? Jeeeez!

This is just an excuse for freezing the $700 million aid - a tit for tat action.

 

[Hello_10]

US Senate panel agreed to freeze aid to Pakistan over flow of improvised explosives to Afghanistan.


The leaders of a US House-Senate negotiating panel said on Monday they had agreed to freeze $700 million in US aid to Pakistan until it provides some assurances of assistance in the fight against improvised explosive devices in the region.

The explosive devices are among militants most effective weapons against US and coalition troops in Afghanistan. Many are made using ammonium nitrate, a common fertilizer shipped across the border from Pakistan. The freeze on US aid was agreed as part of a defense bill that is expected to be passed this week.

Dunya News: Pakistan:-US Senate panel agrees to freeze $700m aid to ****...

i really appreciate their, this bravo step

Pakistan would prepare itself for a little bigger threat than the aid from US. That is, it is being argued by many, “either Pakistan would have trade with US/ NATO or these countries would break any type of trade relations with Pakistan.” They say, if Pakistan want to do trade/ business with NATO/ US then they would do in Afghanistan also otherwise US with NATO won’t do trade/ business with Pakistan in any way. Few are demanding, “Pakistan would either supply stuffs to US/ NATO who are present in Afghan in the invitation of Afghan government or US/ NATO countries won’t buy anything from Pakistan anymore……………”

 

[rohailmalhi]

I am totally happy with what going on. Open the NATO route and earn from it.Billions let them feel the heat.

U cannot ban all the cars to stop the death of the people from the car accidents. ammonium nitrate is used as fertilizer esp in that area as the land is not that fertile so that need it there.

We need to revise all the term of engagement with US of A.

Oh and btw keep that AID to urself we dont need it . . I totally like americans GOV for that.

 

[Areesh]

Good news.

 

[somebozo]

They are talking about stopping our aid and we are talking about taxing their cargo...brilliant tit for tat..for US..its a lose-lose game!

back in the cold war days, we were awarded a piece of Berlin wall upon the collapse of soviet union for dealing the first blow. Now I wonder what will we get in award?? Perhaps a piece of Predator drone?