Pakistani official says US aid is crucial

WASHINGTON — Pakistan’s foreign minister said Wednesday that a proposed multibillion-dollar U.S. aid package is crucial to Islamabad’s efforts to fight terrorists.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi played down a statement by Pakistan’s military that it had serious concerns about U.S. aid that is seen by many in his country as a sign of American meddling. He called the assistance the “first, very strong signal of a long-term commitment with the people of Pakistan.”

Qureshi also told an audience at the Council on Foreign Relations that Pakistan and the United States should strengthen consultations as the Obama administration decides whether to send more troops to Afghanistan.

The U.S. aid bill would provide Pakistan with $1.5 billion a year over the next five years to spend on democratic, economic and social development programs. It also allows “such sums as may be necessary” for military aid, subject to special conditions related to Pakistan’s fight against militants who have wreaked havoc in Pakistan and across the border in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s military, in an unusual public statement Wednesday, expressed serious concern about the bill — comments that could bolster opponents of the weak U.S.-backed civilian administration in Islamabad.

The aid bill, U.S. officials say, is meant to alleviate widespread poverty. But many Pakistanis see it as a sign of unwanted U.S. influence.

State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the bill has consultation and monitoring mechanisms that are “in no way intended to impinge on Pakistan’s sovereignty.”

“A lot of the concern has been because we are really ramping up our assistance program,” Kelly said.

Qureshi said that key backers of the bill, Sens. John Kerry, a Democrat, and Richard Lugar, a Republican, assured him Tuesday that the economic aid has no conditions attached.

He said criticism of the aid in Pakistan is part of the “beauty of a democracy,” where differing points of view are natural.

On U.S. worries that Pakistan would not spend huge amounts of U.S. aid properly, he said it is in his country’s interest to make sure the money goes where it is supposed to go. Pakistan must have strong infrastructure and education, he said, to destroy terrorists and become a stable, peaceful country.

Qureshi has met with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other top U.S. officials during his trip to Washington, which comes as President Barack Obama reviews whether to accept a push by U.S. military commanders for more troops in Afghanistan.

Qureshi called for better coordination on the Afghan side.

Generally, he said, there must be more trust between Pakistan and the United States, which has long pushed for Islamabad to do more in fighting extremists.

“If you keep doubting our intentions, and we keep doubting your intentions, then where is this partnership going?” Qureshi asked.

Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this story.