By IANS,
Washington : A US congressional panel has rejected a move to block all kinds of assistance to Pakistan despite existing differences over security issues between the two nations.
The US House Foreign Affairs Committee Thursday defeated the move by a 39-5 vote, signifying bipartisan congressional support for continuing cooperative ties with Pakistan even as the two countries struggle to overcome strains, particularly over the pace of anti-militant fight along the Afghan border, Associated Press of Pakistan stated.
The move, contained in the spending bill for the next fiscal year, was introduced by Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from California. It sought to end any funding for Pakistan.
The Barack Obama administration recently announced a delay in some security assistance for Pakistan totalling $800 million, but pledged to continue the civilian aid for Pakistan.
The House measure, however, seeks to further tighten control over all aid for Pakistan, though this is unlikely to affect the Obama administration’s position on aid for Pakistan, as it depends heavily on Islamabad’s cooperation for any efforts towards peace and security in Afghanistan, the APP report added.
Relations between the two countries turned murkier since after US commandos killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a secret operation May 2 in his Abbottabad city hideout in Pakistan.