Pakistan’s top military officer wants the United States to use the military assistance it provides to the Asian country to support civilian aid programs instead.
In a statement issued June 9, Pakistani army chief of staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani said the funds the United States is spending on Pakistan’s military are more needed for “reducing the burden on the common man,” The Washington Post says.
Kayani’s remarks are unlikely to have an immediate impact but could contribute to an ongoing debate in the United States over the future of the country’s aid program in Pakistan, the newspaper notes. The U.S. government has been reportedly weighing options on how to go forward with its relations with Pakistan following a growing suspicion over the country’s commitment to the U.S.-led counterterrorism drive, particularly after the discovery and death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
>> US to Refocus Pakistani Aid Program, Official Says
>> US Congress Weighs Cutting Aid to Pakistan
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