Haqqani hopes US aid won't be affected amidst Pak political turmoil

Washington, Mar.18 (ANI): Following fears that the United States might cut off aid and assistance to Pakistan if political instability prevails, Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, has expressed hope that the Obama administration's help to the country would remain unaffected despite the turmoil.

"The United States support and aid should be for the Pakistani people and should remain unaffected by developments in domestic politics. We expect the relationship between Pakistan and the US to remain strong and stable," The Daily Times quoted Haqqani, as saying.

Responding to media reports which said that the US wants to be certain about the usefulness of its assistance, after last week's nationwide mass public protest in Pakistan, Haqqani said: "As an ally of Pakistan, the United States has legitimate concerns about domestic developments but it has no role in our domestic politics. Pakistan's domestic politics are a matter for the Pakistanis alone."

Earlier, top US officials expressed concern over the continuous political instability in Pakistan.

Senator Patrick J. Leahy, who heads the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds US foreign aid programmes, has warned that if the political turmoil in Pakistan continues then the aid provided by the US can not be utilized properly.

"If Pakistan is in such a state of internal political turmoil that US aid can't be used effectively, that's going to limit what can be done," Leahy said.

However, the Obama administration is planning to increase economic and development assistance to Pakistan, also its military partnership.

The new policy is aimed at breaking the extremist network operating in the region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which is considered to have been aiding the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. (ANI)