The United States has slashed the security-oriented financial aid to Pakistan to $150 million, a huge reduction from the past when it used to be almost $750 million per year to $1 billion.
The move comes after the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and $716.3-billion defence authorisation bill was approved by the US Congress.
ALSO READ: Apple becomes the first company to cross $1 Trillion in mkt…
The NDAA 2019, which was earlier passed by the US House of Representatives in the Senate, has now been sent to US president Donald Trump for approval.
Meanwhile, this cut down in the aid hints at the United States’ failure to pressurise Pakistan to take actions against the several terrorist outfits, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Haqqani network.
In January this year, the United States made its stand clear that the aid to Pakistan has only been suspended and not cut-off, as it wanted the country to take an aggressive approach in eliminating terrorism.
Earlier this year, the US had announced that they were stopping the military aid to Pakistan, as it was not taking “necessary steps” to curb terrorism. “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help,” Trump had tweeted on New Year day.
US State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert had said the embargo would remain in place until Pakistan takes action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network