US Congress rejects proposal to impose stringent limits on aid to Pak

The U.S. House of Representatives has reportedly rejected a proposal to prevent the Obama administration from waiving certain limits on aid to Pakistan deemed to be in the national security interest.

Republican Ted Poe's bill, which sought amendments in the USD 578 billion annual defense appropriations bill that would block funds to Islamabad if it violated any condition for aid, failed on a vote of 114-318, reported The Express Tribune.

However, it was decided that the State and Defense Departments could waive the limits on a case-by-case basis if they could prove to the Congress that providing aid to Pakistan was vital to U.S. national security.

The bill stipulated that the no funds could be provided to Pakistan unless the state and Defence Departments certified that it was cooperating with the U.S. in counterterrorism efforts, not backing terror activities against the nation or the coalition troops in Afghanistan, dismantling improvised explosive devices, preventingthe proliferation of nuclear weapons, providing visas to American citizens in a 'timely manner' and working with humanitarian groups to assist Pakistani civilians.

It was rejected as many Congressmen pointed out that the provisions listed under it could be 'counter-productive.