US should not give blank cheque to Pakistan: Berman

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 to 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 Af-Pak 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.     

"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."

The act proposes to triple the civilian aid to Pakistan to $1.5 billion for the next five years, but imposes strict conditions on Pakistan in lieu of that which is being resented by the Obama Administration and opposed by the establishment in Pakistan as well.     

"There are some report and accountability provisions to ensure that Pakistan is using our security assistance in a manner consistent with US national security interests.     

They require an annual presidential determination that Pakistan is cooperating with the United States on dismantling the proliferation network and on non-proliferation issues, and is meeting its commitment to combat terrorist groups and has made progress toward that end," Berman said.     

Observing that the bill calls for increased assistance for Pakistan's public education system with an emphasis on access for women and girls, he said to help ensure that US assistance actually reaches the Pakistani people, it requires increased auditing, monitoring and evaluation.     

"A huge amount of the assistance we have sent to Pakistan, we have no accountability for. It has disappeared into the ether. And this bill does everything that I can think of to try and keep that from happening again," Berman asserted.