A bill in the US House of Representatives states a complete ban on all non-military aid to Pakistan
A bill has been introduced in the US House of Representatives to end all non-defence aid to Pakistan as Islamabad "provides military aid and intelligence" to terrorists.
The bill sought that the entire amount be redirect to infrastructure projects in the United States.
Introduced by Congressmen Mark Sanford from South Carolina and Thomas Massie from Kentucky, the legislation will prohibit the US State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from sending American taxpayer money to Pakistan. Instead, these funds will be redirected to the Highway Trust Fund, the account that pays for road infrastructure in the United States.
The lawmakers highlighted that Pakistan "knowingly" and repeatedly provides resources and safe havens to terrorists and terror organisations.
Slamming Pakistan, Mr Massie said that the United States should not funnel money to a government that "provides military aid and intelligence to terrorists".
This common-sense bill puts America first by reallocating tax dollars to roads and bridges at home instead of funnelling money overseas, he added.
Mr Sanford said, "When the American people support other nations, our generosity shouldn't be used to reward terrorists with US taxpayer dollars. Couple this with the fact that the Highway Trust Fund will be $111 billion short by 2026, and it simply makes financial sense to re-purpose these funds for our infrastructure."
Senator Rand Paul, who introduced the companion legislation in the Senate, said we fail to protect the country and steward taxpayers' hard-earned money when we support countries that chant "death to America and burn our flag".
"Let's bring that money home and use it to help rebuild our infrastructure instead of giving it to a nation that persecutes Christians and imprisons people such as the doctor that helped us get Osama bin Laden," he said.
The United States, post 9/11, has provided nearly $34 billion in aid to Pakistan, including $526 million in 2017 alone.