Will recover reimbursements due from US: Pakistan Minister

It is Pakistan's money and belongs to the people of Pakistan. It is not a charity or donation, says Pak Minister

Amid reports of the US threatening to stop reimbursements for Pakistan's expenses on the war on terror if NATO supply routes are not opened, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has said he will recover every outstanding dollar.

"It is Pakistan's money and belongs to the people of Pakistan. It is not a charity or donation. We will recover every outstanding dollar," he said.

Dar said this was not the Pakistan of the past and promised to get the money within two to four weeks. The total outstanding amount from the US is about $1.5 billion.

He made the remarks when was asked about US media reports suggesting that Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel had asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief Gen Raheel Sharif to keep land routes open for US and NATO cargo, failing which reimbursements from the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) could be held up.

Dar said payments were due over the next few months, which would improve Pakistan's reserves position. USD 850 million is expected from the US on account of reimbursements from the CSF.

Addressing a news conference yesterday, Dar said disbursement of USD 381 million from the US was due this month, while bills for the January-March period had been submitted to the US.

Dar said the government was in talks with the US for early reimbursements, the Dawn reported. He said in his recent meeting with Hagel, he conveyed that "these delays in CSF payments are not proper".

He wondered how agreements were finalised in the past with the US, saying payments should have automatically gone into an escrow account.

Dar said it was strange that Pakistan was still fighting for reimbursement of expenses incurred 14 months ago.

He said he had directed authorities to immediately submit bills for the period up to September 30 to the US.