Obama signs Kerry Lugar bill for aid to Pak

Islamabad, Oct 16: US President Barack Obama has signed Kerry Lugar Bill into law thereby tripling non-military aid to Islamabad to about 7.5 billion dollars over the next five years.

Pakistan's National Assembly continued to debate over the controversial bill and stressed that clauses stringed with the bill were a deliberate attempt by Washington to interfere in the country's internal matters.

"Pakistan would not be facing the US lawmakers' demeaning attitude if the country had a strong lobby in Washington to point out the controversial clauses when the bill was being formulated," The Daily Times quoted Senator Fauzia Fakruz Zaman, as saying.

Meanwhile, President Obama signed the Kerry Lugar bill into a legislation before embarking on a trip to New Orleans.

"This law is the tangible manifestation of broad support for Pakistan in the US, as evidenced by its bipartisan, bicameral, unanimous passage in Congress," White House spokesman Robert Wood said.

Wood said non-military aid would help improve the living condition of the Pakistanis, and strengthen the country's democracy.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi expressed the hope that the chaos being created over the bill by different political quarters would subside following Obama's stamp.

Qureshi said the furore at home would ease as the US lawmakers have guaranteed that the bill has not intention to violate Pakistan's sovereignty.

ANI