WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States announced on Thursday that it will be putting on hold security assistance to the Pakistani military.
The decision followed after Pakistan failed to provide ‘decisive action’ against the terror groups who targeted U.S. personnel in nearby Afghanistan. President Donald Trump’s administration voiced out profound frustration over its South Asian confederate for not being able to crack down the group bases of Afghan Taliban and Haqqani.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters that they will not be transporting military equipment or transfer related funds to Pakistan except if it is required by law. Nauert did not mention though how much of the assistance will be suspended. They are still currently working on the details.
As of now, the administration disclosed that they will withhold $255 million in assistance from the 2016 fiscal year. It was supposed to be used by Pakistan to acquire U.S. military equipment until it can crack down extremists.
A senior State Department official also released to the press that they will be withholding coalition support funds and other unused money from the preceding fiscal years.
Records show that the U.S. has already released to Pakistan over $1 billion in security assistance year after year. A certain amount has already been paid out or withheld for the 2016 fiscal year, but the amount withheld could possibly exceed $1 billion.
Pentagon spokesman Cmdr. Patrick Evans told reporters that despite the security assistance freeze, there is no word regarding the cancellation of assistance in funds and deliveries. They are still hoping that Pakistan will come up with a decisive action against terrorist and militant groups.
Moreover, the U.S. has no plans of suspending civilian and economic assistance to Pakistan. A State official said that they are also considering making exemptions for some security funding on a “case-by-case basis.”
Nauert said that the freeze should not come as a shock to Pakistani leaders. If Pakistan takes certain measures to refute a haven for terrorists, assistance could be made available again in the future.
