Pentagon chief Jim Mattis (Source: File Photo)
Stating that Pakistan did not take “sufficient action” against the Haqqani network, Pentagon revealed on Saturday they would withhold the remaining $50 million in military reimbursements to Pakistan for fiscal year 2016. The decision came after US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress that Islamabad had not taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network. In 2012, US had designated the Pakistan-based Haqqani network as a terrorist organisation.
“This is simply an assessment of the current state of play. It is not a policy. It is a reality. You know, we are just defining the realities,” Mattis told reporters on Friday. When asked if the withholding of $350 million coalition support funds was part of Donald Trump administration’s new policy towards Pakistan, he said “No”.
“The funds could not be released to the Government of Pakistan at this time because the secretary could not certify that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani Network per the requirement in the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act,” Adam Stump, a Pentagon spokesman, was quoted as saying by Reuters. The move has a precedent. Last year, it withheld $300 million as military reimbursements. Stump added the decision did not “reduce the significance of the sacrifices that the Pakistani military has undertaken over previous years.”
“This decision does not prejudge the conclusions of the White House review of South Asia strategy, which is still ongoing,” Stump said. Pakistan has been reimbursed $550 million of the $900 million the country was authorized to receive in fiscal year 2016, Reuters reported. Of the rest, $300 million had already been reprogrammed for other purposes, but had not been previously reported. Mattis’ latest decision affects the remaining $50 million.
US President Donald Trump is likely to potentially harden its approach toward Pakistan to crack down militants launching strikes in neighboring Afghanistan. Possible Trump administration responses being discussed include expanding US drone strikes and perhaps eventually downgrading Pakistan’s status as a major non-NATO ally, the Reuters report said.
As a part of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) under the US Defense Department, the program reimburses allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations.
