agencies
Washington, July 21: The Trump administration will not provide $350 million in coalition support funds (CSF) to Pakistan after the US Defence Secretary said he cannot certify that Islamabad has taken “sufficient actions” against the Haqqani terror network, an official said Friday.
Pakistan-based Haqqani network is blamed for a number of high-profile attacks US, Western and Indian interests in Afghanistan, including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul that killed 58 people.
“Secretary James Mattis has informed congressional defense committees that he was not able to certify that Pakistan has taken sufficient actions against the Haqqani network to permit full reimbursement of Fiscal Year 2016 Coalition Support Funds,” Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said.
This is for the second consecutive year that the US Defence Secretary has refused to certify to Congress, as mandated under National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), that Pakistan has taken satisfactory action against the Haqqani network.