Despite strain US proposes USD 3.1 billion for Pakistan

WASHINGTON: Despite a stand off with Pakistan over the issue of jailing of its diplomat Raymond Davis, US has not proposed any slashing of aid to Islamabad, and for the second year in running has allocated a whopping USD 3.1 billion as assistance to the country for 2012.

President Barack Obama has kept up the aid levels to Pakistan and of the huge allocation a staggering USD 1.1 billion is to provide critical equipment and training for Pakistani security forces, increasing the ability of the Pakistani government to combat insurgents inside that country and eliminating the insurgent's capacity to conduct cross-border operations in Afghanistan that jeopardise US lives and the mission there.

In 2010, Pakistan had received USD 79 million under the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) Budget, which is estimated to jump to USD 1.3 billion in 2011.

Obama has requested USD 73.6 billion for the State Department in its USD 3.73 trillion budget for the next fiscal year and of this a significant portion has been allocated for programmes in Pakistan, Afghanistan as well as Iraq, where US is likely to face problems as withdrawal of American troops continues.

In a significant development, the American budget retains major assistant programmes for US allies in the Middle East including USD 1.5 billion for Egypt. But US officials warn that money for the country which include USD 1.3 billion military aid could be altered depending on developments.

The stepped up military assistance to Pakistan will come under the Overseas Contingency Operations Budget.