16 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) — A US Senate committee on Tuesday gave the green light to triple non-military aid to Pakistan, hoping to bring stability to a country that is a key priority for President Barack Obama.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted unanimously 16-0 in favor of the bill, which triples non-military aid to Pakistan to 7.5 billion dollars over five years. The bill now goes on to the full Senate.

The bill needs to be reconciled afterwards with a version approved last week in the House of Representatives, which imposes more stringent conditions on Pakistan to verify it is helping defeat Islamic extremism.

The Senate bill -- named for its authors, Democrat John Kerry and Republican Richard Lugar -- puts a focus on economic development in the Islamic world's only declared nuclear power.

"There is a moment where if we do this properly we can actually gain ground," Kerry said.

"A stable, secure, prosperous Pakistan is vital for Pakistan's 170 million citizens and it's vital to America's national security," said Kerry, the failed Democratic presidential candidate in 2004.

While less onerous than the House version, the Senate bill also outlines goals for Pakistan and requires the United States to measure regularly whether the aid is effective.

The House of Representatives on Thursday voted 238-183, mostly along party lines, in support of the bill, with Republicans arguing that the strict conditions risked further alienating Pakistan.

The aid bills come as Pakistan mounts a seven-week campaign against Islamic insurgents in its northwest, with a governor late Sunday announcing a "full-fledged" second front along the mountainous and wild tribal belt.

Obama has made rooting out extremism from Afghanistan and Pakistan a major priority. US officials in the past have accused rogue elements in the Pakistani military and intelligence service of secretly abetting extremists.