US official: $2B at risk in suspension of aid to Pakistan
WASHINGTON — Up to $2 billion in U.S. aid could be affected by President Donald Trump’s suspension of security assistance to Pakistan, which is accused of failing to crack down on Taliban militants targeting U.S. personnel in neighbouring Afghanistan, a senior U.S. administration official said Friday.
Those funds comprise about $1 billion in planned military assistance, including the $255 million in foreign military financing that was put on hold in August, and an additional $900 million in Coalition Support Funds intended to reimburse Pakistan for counterterrorism operations, said the official, who was not authorized to comment by name and demanded anonymity.
Washington’s announcement Thursday signalled growing frustration over Pakistan’s level of co-operation as U.S. involvement in the war in Afghanistan enters its 17th year. The abrupt move met with an indignant response from Islamabad, which says it is being scapegoated, and has faced thousands of casualties and more than $120 billion in costs in the war on terror.
“Arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goalposts are counterproductive in addressing common threats,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday.