Kerry-Lugar bill proves US is eternal friend of Pakistan: Hussain Haqqani

[Naveed Yaseen]

ISLAMABAD: The Kerry-Lugar bill has allayed Pakistan's fears that the US would abandon Pakistan, envoy to the US Hussain Haqqani said on Monday. Talking to a private news channel, he said the US had pledged in the bill continuous assistance for Pakistan for the next five years and even up to 2019. People had apprehensions that the US leaves Pakistan in the lurch every now and then and the country was only a fair-weather friend, he said, adding that the Kerry-Lugar bill had removed such fears as the US had pledged long-term partnership with Pakistan. He said the US Congress had appreciated Pakistan's anti-terror efforts. To a question, he said $1.5 billion aid was not peanuts, adding that it was the highest level of economic aid from the US for Pakistan. "Our parliament can turn it down and say thank you, we do not want peanuts. There are no conditions for Pakistan – the conditions are on the US government if they want to give military assistance to Pakistan,” he said. app