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Congressional resolution seeks to freeze US aid to Pakistan
Veiled Pak warning to US House of RepresentativesWashington: A resolution introduced in the US House of Representatives seeks to freeze American aid to Pakistan, until its diplomat Raymond Davis, facing murder charges in a Lahore court is released.
"The House of Representatives calls on the Government of Pakistan to release Raymond Davis in accordance with international standards of diplomatic protocol and, until such time, all US monetary assistance to Pakistan should be frozen," says the House Resolution (no 145) introduced in the House of Representatives last week.
The resolution moved by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for consideration.
The resolution says that Pakistan is among the world's leading recipients of US aid having received more than USD 10.7 billion between 2001 and 2010, including USD 6 billion development and humanitarian aid.
On March 1, 2009, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told an Afghan interviewer that "the ISI's contacts with some of these extremist groups [such as those led by Hekmatyar, Haqqani, and others] are a real concern for the US", the resolution notes.
The resolution says that on January 27, Raymond Davis was attacked by two armed men in Lahore, and he shot and killed both men in self-defense.
The detained American diplomat Davis, the resolution argues, is a US veteran and former Special Forces soldier.
US President Barack Obama called Raymond Davis 'our diplomat' and said that 'we expect Pakistan [to recognize] Mr Davis as a diplomat', the resolution said.
Relations between Pakistan and the US were strained in January following the arrest of suspected CIA contractor Raymond Davis, who was charged with murder for shooting and killing two armed men in Lahore.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday sent a veiled warning to the US House of Representatives, saying, nothing should be said or done that creates dents or misconception in their relationship, and efforts should be made that decade old relationship does not hit ground zero.
The News had approached the Foreign Office for its comments on the recent resolution introduced in the US House of Representatives, seeking freezing of American aid to Pakistan until its diplomat (CIA contractor) Raymond Davis, facing murder charges in a Lahore court was released.
The House of Representatives calls on the Government of Pakistan to release Raymond Davis in accordance with international standards of diplomatic protocol, and until such time, all US monetary assistance to Pakistan should be frozen, says the House Resolution (No 145), introduced in the House of Representatives last week.
The resolution has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for consideration. The resolution says that Pakistan is among the world leading recipients of US aid, having received more than 10.7 billion dollars between 2001 and 2010, including $06 billion development and humanitarian aid.
We had a good visit by US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Marc Grossman. As far as Pak-US relations are concerned, nothing should be said or done that creates dents or misconceptions about our relations. Both Pakistan and the US have stated this, said the spokesperson at the Foreign Office in response.
Even on Thursday, the spokesman tried to dispel the impressions that all was not well between the FO and State Department. This impression was reinforced during Grossmans visit, in which he clearly stated that it would not be a business as usual unless the irritant of Raymond Davis was removed.
She said that as far as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is concerned, it is our responsibility to ensure that no relationship goes down to the level of ground zero. Our efforts and, that we understand, those of the State Department are similar in this regard.