US Kerry Lugar Bill for Pakistan

Kerry Lugar Bill for Pakistan:

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/13+kerry-lugar+bill+to+be+approved+by+september-za-04

Dawn.com

‘Kerry-Lugar Bill to be approved by September’
Friday, 28 Aug, 2009 | 09:05 PM PST |

The US also assured approval of the bill for reconstruction zones for FATA and the tribal areas.

ISLAMABAD: Former US vice Secretary of State for South Asia, and Economic and Developmental Aid for Pakistan, Rabin Raphael has announced that the Kerry-Lugar Bill would be approved by the American Senate by September.

Talking to media on Friday after round table talks in the American Embassy, he said that his appointment for managing the affairs in Pakistan pertained to oversee a coordinated disbursement of aid supplied to Pakistan under USAID and Kerry-Lugar schemes.

He said the reason for disbursement of non-military aid to Pakistan was to help Pakistan attain economic and developmental prosperity, help restructure the much damaged energy sector, cater to health, education, construction of highways and provision of basic facilities to masses.

He strongly refuted the notion of appointing an American inspector general to monitor the execution of American aid disbursement; however, he stressed for increased transparency, sincerity and honesty coupled with sheer objectivity in utilizing this aid; which was also the prime reason for his current visit, and stressed for enhancing the accountability process.

Answering a question about the 5-year $1.5 billion annual, Kerry-Lugar aid for Pakistan, he assured that it would be approved by the American Senate in September.

Also assuring the approval of reconstruction zones’ bill for FATA and tribal areas, he said that these bills would also be approved, and assured minimizing any non-developmental expenditure in these projects.

He expressed his deep affirmation that he would strive for better relations with Pakistan, and see to the full compensation for Pakistan’s daring struggle in the war against terrorism.—Online


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http://www.geo.tv/2-6-2009/34551.htm

GEO World

Kerry Lugar bill to be tabled in US Senate soon
Updated at: 2029 PST, Friday, February 06, 2009

WASHINGTON: A legislation, which would triple non-military aid to Pakistan for the next one decade and would impose greater accountability on security assistance will be reintroduced in the US Senate in coming weeks, powerful Senator and its co-sponsor John Kerry has said.

"We would be introducing it (the legislation) somewhere in the next weeks," Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told PTI.

The legislation called the Kerry-Lugar bill, is an updated and revised version of the Biden-Lugar Bill, which lapsed in the previous Congress and will triple military aid to Pakistan to USD 1.5 billion.

Senator Richard Lugar, the Ranking Republican member of the committee has been its co-sponsor on both the occasions.

The previous version of the bill was sponsored by Lugar and Joseph Biden, who is now the US Vice President. When the bill was introduced in the Senate in July 2008, Biden was the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Kerry said the new legislation is an improved version of the Biden-Lugar bill. "We are looking at a number of things," he said, without specifying it.

"We are looking at issues, we are looking at delivery of Government services and (want to) make certain that we are leveraging the right kind of policies and to the right amount of money," Kerry said.
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