Pakistan Aid legislation (commonly known as Biden-Lugar Act) is on track:Washington

[LahoreEstate]

Sunday, February 01, 2009
WASHINGTON: Progress on a landmark bipartisan legislative measure on significantly expanding US economic assistance for Pakistan is on track and it is expected to be taken up and passed by Congress shortly, Islamabad’s envoy in Washington said Saturday.

“The legislation (commonly known as Biden-Lugar Act) is no track and likely to be taken up soon — we are very optimistic about its passage based on assurances given by Congressional leaders,” Ambassador Husain Haqqani said.

Meanwhile, Congressional and diplomatic sources told APP that the 111th US Congress is also likely to introduce another vital legislation on allowing Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in its spring session.

According to diplomatic sources reports in a section of the press that the Biden-Lugar measure is having no chance of passage in the current year and the bill being dead are contrary to the facts of US legislative process and give an “erroneous impression”.

The 110th Congress could not complete the process of legislation and authorisation of the Biden-Lugar proposal and the 111th Congress is now expected to take it up, diplomatic sources said.

“Congressional leaders including Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Congressman Howard Berman, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee are already looking at the draft of the bill,” Haqqani said.

Karachi-born Congressman Chris Van Hollen, the sponsor of the legislative measure that would allow the preferential trade ROZs programme, would meet top Pakistani leaders in Islamabad in the next few days to discuss bilateral economic cooperation.

The legislation on tripling economic assistance for Pakistan to $1.5 billion annually for a decade was named after its architects “the then Democratic Senator and now Vice President Joseph Biden and Republican Richard Lugar” enjoys bipartisan support on the Capitol Hill.

Senator John Kerry, who has replaced Joseph Biden as head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, last week argued strongly in favour of the landmark bill at a Congressional hearing as well as in a newspaper article. The measure is now more frequently called as “Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act”.

Top administration officials including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defence Secretary Robert Gates also backed the measure at recent Congressional hearings.

Congressional leaders, meanwhile, praised the efforts of Pakistani diplomats for their dedication to vigorously pursue progress on the two legislative initiatives, which are likely to form a major part of the US economic cooperation with Pakistan under President Barack Obama. — APP

Online adds: Talking to a private TV channel, Husain Haqqani, meanwhile, said that new movers would table the Biden-Lugar bill before the Congress with a new name in a few days.

The ambassador made it clear that so long US considers Pakistan its friend, our assistance would not stop.

He said majority of both the houses were not in favour of slapping restrictions on Pakistan. President Barrack Obama had also supported the Biden-Lugar Bill, Haqqani added.

He said the Congress couldn’t get time to discuss the bill. He added that the bill could not be produced before the previous Congress as it completed its term by the end of 2008.

It was presented in the Senate Committee and now it would be presented in the Congress. Haqqani said the bill would be approved in a few weeks and thereby disbursement of fund would kick off.

Editor’s note: The News reported on Saturday (January 31) that the Biden-Lugar Bill has expired, as it was not discussed by the 110th US Congress. And now any bill on assistance to Pakistan will come with a new title and fresh terms. This is what the government clarification states.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=20014