US to provide 750 mln dollars for Pakistan's Tribal Region

Islamabad, Mar 15 (UNI) The United States will provide 750 million dollars to Pakistan for developing the country's restive tribal region.

''The money will be provided over the next five years,'' US assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher told a press conference in Islamabad after meeting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

The new US commitment comes in the backdrop of statements made by US and NATO officials over what they called Pakistan's inability to check the re-grouping of the Taliban and their increasing attacks against some 55,000 American and NATO-led ISAF troops in Afghanistan.

The US and Pakistan will soon seek congressional approval for funding to be used for development projects in the tribal region of Waziristan, which has been the battleground of Pakistani security forces and foreign militants, mostly Uzbeks, Chechens, Afghans and Arabs.

Describing Pakistan as a close ally of the US in the ongoing war against terror, Mr Boucher said the administration would also get congressional approval for the 75 million dollar deal for Pakistan's frontier corps, which has been fighting terrorists in the region, since security forces moved in to hunt down al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives.

In additional to the deployment of more than 80,000 troops on its borders with Afghanistan in the west, Pakistan has established 1,000 paramilitary checkposts in the area to curb cross-border incursions.

''Pakistan has been working closely with the US as we have common interests in the war against terror'' the US official said while lauding Islamabad's role as one of Washington's important partners in the war.

'' The US has been working closely with President Musharraf as it wants Pakistan's success in the war against extremism and to develop the country into a stable and modern democratic state'' he said.

Mr Boucher said the finalisation of the 750 million dollars package reflected America's commitment to forge a long term relationship between the two countries.

Commenting on the legislation adopted by the US House of Representatives and the Senate, he said, ''It is not not like that of the Pressler law''.

George Bush Sr had stopped Pakistan's military and economic package in 1990 under the suspicion that Islamabad was developing nuclear weapons.

Mr Boucher said the US administration had expressed strong opposition to the version passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate adopted an amendment by Senator John Kerry and others.

''The US administration will still try its best to ensure that the final version of the legislation doesn't undermine relations between the two countries'' he said.

The law links Pakistan's military and economic aid with its efforts to curb activities of the Taliban.

UNI