US Senator Rand Paul seeks no aid to Pakistan till release of Shakil Afridi

Washington: Expressing strong concern over reports of torture of a jailed Pakistani doctor, who helped CIA to find Osama bin Laden, a top US Senator has sought an early Senate vote on his legislation seeking to block all assistance to Pakistan till the release of the physician.

Senate Majority Leader Senator Rand Paul renewed his months-long effort to compel a vote on a bill to freeze US aid to Pakistan unless Shakil Afridi is released.

In a letter to Senator Harry Reid yesterday, Paul demanded no foreign government as blatantly defiant of American priorities as Pakistan should benefit from billions upon billions of American taxpayer dollars.

"It is time for that practice to come to an end," he said, adding that the Obama Administration is now releasing USD 1.2 billion in addition to the USD 2.1 billion being given by the United States to Pakistan every year.

"I will continue to work tirelessly to keep this issue front and center. America should not give foreign aid to a country whose government is torturing the man who helped us kill Osama bin Laden. We should not be giving foreign aid to any country that is not clearly our ally. This must end, and this week I will renew my push for a vote on this issue, including holding up Senate business to accomplish this goal," Senator Paul said in a statement after he sent the letter to Reid.

In his letter, which was released to the press, Paul said it is now abundantly clear that Pakistan has no intention of pursuing a proper and just hearing for Afridi and just this month the Director General of the ISI indicated it would be in the best interest of the United States to "forget the matter of Dr Afridi."