US Senators oppose extending emergency aid to Pakistan

Washington, May 13 (ANI): Questioning the credibility of Pakistani leaders, two senators have strongly opposed the Obama Administration's plans to hand out 497 million dollars in emergency aid to Pakistan.

Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker said, "It will be a monumental mistake" if the administration sent aid to Pakistan without proper congressional oversight.

Senator Corker opposed sending the aid to a country where some of the leaders have been called "Mr. ten per cent" because of corrupt track record.I would like to know how the money would be circulated in Pakistan, and will not end in bank accounts in Switzerland," The Dawn quoted him, as saying.

Senator Bob Mendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, said he had voted for bills supporting Pakistan on several occasions in the past, but he was not going to vote for this move.

He asked US special envoy Richard Holbrooke to come to his chamber and convince him why he should vote for giving aid to Pakistan without proper oversight.

"Unless, I really hear what the strategy is, and I have not heard that so far, you may not have my support on this," he said.

The lawmakers were speaking at a special hearing of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on the current situation in Pakistan.

Holbrooke said he was willing to come along General David Petraeus, who is in charge for US military operations in the Pak-Afghan region, to the offices of these senators to persuade them to support the bill.

Earlier, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs had said, "The president has said on numerous occasions there shouldn't be and there won't be blank checks." (ANI)