Pakistan says US aid bill casts shadow on relations

ISLAMABAD, July 29 (Reuters) US legislation linking aid for Pakistan to progress in cracking down on al Qaeda and other militants casts a shadow on relations with Washington, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Tying aid to anti-terrorism efforts could actually backfire, ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam also said in a weekend statement.

''Such linkage did not serve the interest of bilateral cooperation in the past and it can prove to be detrimental In the future,'' she said.

The Pakistan provisions are part of a massive bill approved last week mainly aimed at implementing anti-terrorism recommendations of the September. 11 commission.

US President George W Bush is expected to sign it into law.

The legislation's Pakistan elements reflect mounting concern among US lawmakers that al Qaeda and other violent militants have become entrenched in safe havens in Pakistan's tribal region near Afghanistan, and use them as a base for attacks against Kabul's forces and its NATO and US-led allies.

Despite past strong support for Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, some officials in the Bush administration -- under political fire from Democrats after an intelligence study critical of Islamabad's efforts -- have recently expressed similar concerns.

Under the bill, in future years US economic and military aid to Pakistan would be tied to the extent Islamabad takes such steps as eliminating militant traning camps, arresting leaders and halting cross border attacks, as well as implementation of democratic reforms.

The bill would require Bush to certify Pakistan is making progress in specified areas.

The legislation ''contains references and provisions that cast a shadow on the existing cooperation between Pakistan and (the) United States,'' foreign ministry spokeswoman Aslam said in her statement.

''The bill is disappointing from Pakistan's point of view.'' Pakistan this year is receiving about 700 million dollars in US economic and military assistance and in 2008 is expected to receive more than 800 million dollars.

''This (bill) is reminiscent of the infamous Pressler Amendment that had deeply damaged the relationship between the two countries in the past,'' Aslam said.

That amendment to a 1985 US aid bill blocked the sale of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan because of its nuclear programme.

Aslam said Pakistan expected understanding and support, instead of ''pronouncements and impositions'', in dealing with the militant threat.

''We will continue to fight al Qaeda, Talibanisation and other terrorist and extremist elements with resolve and determination.'' Pakistan says the growing insurgency in Afghanistan is largely due to its internal problems.

President Musharraf denied on Friday that al Qaeda and Taliban militants were regrouping on Pakistani territory and launching cross-border attacks.

REUTERS SKB RK1240