US Allocates $101 Million To Boost Democracy, Counter Terrorism in Pakistan
The United States plans to allocate $101 million in fiscal year 2025 to strengthen democracy in Pakistan, address the threat of terrorism, and reduce Islamabad’s reliance on China.
Donald Lu, the US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, presented a written budget request to the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
Speaking to a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives, Lu emphasized that this funding should be utilized to strengthen democracy and civil society in Pakistan, combat terrorism and violent extremism, stabilize the country’s economy, and reduce its dependency on China.
He highlighted that the funds will support economic reforms and debt management efforts in Pakistan.
Lu further said, “We are engaged in a significant struggle in South and Central Asia.” This effort aims to counter China, combat Russian and Chinese disinformation, and prevent terrorist groups from threatening our security. We are grateful for the resources Congress has provided for this work.”
Referring to US primacies, Lu said, “Our priority is to build a partnership in the Indo-Pacific. China is trying to establish a military and commercial foothold in the Indian Ocean.”
“Our most effective strategy to counter a strong China is to show that we have something better to offer: better growth opportunities, better trade deals, and better solutions to their security challenges,” he added.
A subcommittee of the US House of Representatives was informed that “Congress’s various concerns about Afghanistan have been addressed, leading to a reduction in US aid.”
The president has requested a budget of $104 million for Afghanistan, which represents a 12% decrease from fiscal year 2023.
A key goal of this budget is to support Afghan women, girls, and minority groups whose human rights continue to be restricted by the Taliban.
Donald Lu emphasized that US administrative controls and restrictions on aid to Afghanistan are among the strictest globally. No US or foreign aid is provided to or through the Taliban.
