Observing that Pakistan poses one of the "most vexing foreign policy challenges of our age", a top American lawmaker has said that Islamabad should be made more accountable for the US aid and the Congress should not be giving it any more "blank cheque".
"We are talking about providing and authorising a lot of money, here. And I think some accountability is a key part of that," Howard Berman, Chairman of the powerful House Committee on Foreign Relations said during a debate on his legislation on Pakistan in the House Rules Committee.
"Congress should not be giving Pakistan, any more, a blank cheque," Berman said, in an apparent reference to a similar statement made by US President, Barack Obama, on March 27 when he announced his Afghanistan-Pakistan policy.
The Pakistan Enduring Assistance Act (H R 1886), which was passed by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, was being debated in the House Committee on Rules before it could be taken up on the floor.
"Pakistan constitutes one of the most vexing foreign policy challenges of our age" Berman said.
{{/usCountry}}"Pakistan constitutes one of the most vexing foreign policy challenges of our age" Berman said.
{{/usCountry}}"Someone argued, "Oh, you shouldn't have any conditions, any benchmarks, any accountability provisions.", Berman, a top Democrat lawmaker said during the Rules Committee meeting.
He said, "but these aren't rigid and inflexible conditions. We are simply asking Pakistan to follow through with the commitments it has already made."