US blocks anti-terror aid to Pak for inaction

WASHINGTON, July 21 

 The Pentagon will withhold the remaining $50 million in military reimbursements to Pakistan for fiscal year 2016 after US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress that 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.

This is not the first time the Pentagon has decided not to make military reimbursements. Last year, it withheld $300 million. The decision comes as President Donald Trump's administration is exploring potentially hardening its approach toward Pakistan to crack down on militants launching strikes in neighboring Afghanistan.

Possible Trump administration responses being discussed include expanding US drone strikes and perhaps eventually downgrading Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally. “This decision does not prejudge the conclusions of the White House review of South Asia strategy, which is still ongoing,” Stump said. Pakistan has been reimbursed $550 million of the $900 million the country was authorised to receive in 2016. — Reuters

Treat Pak as ‘rogue state’, says ex-Senator  

• The US should treat Pakistan as a “rogue state” like North Korea and create a “super alliance” with India to combat extremism as Islamabad has “blackmailed” America into providing aid to combat terrorism but continues to harbour terrorists, a former Republican Senator has said
• Unless Pakistan changes its ways with respect to terrorism, it should be declared a terrorist state... the first Bush administration seriously considered doing so in 1992,” Larry Pressler, ex-Senator from South Dakota, has said