US threatens to withhold Pakistan Aid: WSJ

WASHINGTON: The US has warned Pakistan that it will withhold $300 million in military assistance if Islamabad doesn’t do more to crack down on militants targeting U.S. and Afghan troops in Afghanistan, senior Obama administration officials said.
If Washington follows through, it would be the first time that Pakistan pays financially for playing what the country’s critics call a double game—partnering with the U.S. while allowing Afghan insurgents safe harbor.
Since 2002, Pakistan has received about $1 billion a year under a US program meant to reimburse it for costs incurred fighting militants near the Afghan border.
Under a law passed last year, Washington must withhold some of those so-called Coalition Support Funds if Pakistan doesn’t take adequate steps to disrupt the Haqqani network, a Taliban ally described in 2011 by US Adm. Mike Mullen, then chairman of the joint chiefs, as “a veritable arm” of Pakistani military intelligence. “What we’re doing with the government of Pakistan is having a clear and candid conversation with them about that requirement and about the concerns we have with regard to the Haqqanis,” a senior US official was quoted by Wall Street Journal.
The official said the Pentagon hasn’t decided whether to certify that Islamabad has done enough to counter the Haqqanis, which is necessary for the country to avoid losing a chunk of its 2015 allocation.
Of the $1.1 billion authorized for this year, $100 million has already been delivered. Only $300 million of the total is subject to being withheld, based on progress fighting the Haqqanis.
Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said Islamabad and Washington are “engaged in consultations on various issues, including the Coalition Support Funds.” He said that Pakistan has vigorously battled militants and terror groups.
If the U.S. penalty is imposed, it could further strain ties between Pakistan and the U.S., which is hoping Islamabad will use its influence to get the Taliban and the Haqqani network to participate in peace talks with the Afghan government.
Pakistan says it is targeting all jihadist groups in its territory. Last year it launched a large-scale military operation in the North Waziristan tribal area, a region along the Afghan border that has been a sanctuary for the Haqqani network, al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban.