Rice Hails Pakistan’s Democratization, Lifts Aid Curbs

April 10th, 2008 Sana · No Comments

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday lifted democracy-related law restrictions on American security aid for Pakistan, two weeks after a democratically elected government took office.

The U.S. terminated is military aid to Pakistan following Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s military coup, which took place in 1999. The U.S. nevertheless resumed its aid to the country, using an annual presidential waiver. Last month, U.S. President George W. Bush waived the restriction once again, allowing the allocation of $300 million in security assistance to Pakistan.

Rice’s move was not totally symbolic, however, as it is Bush’s last year in power and the next president’s decisions regarding Pakistan cannot yet be assessed.

“Pursuant to the authority vested in me as Secretary of State, I hereby determine and certify that subsequent to the termination of assistance to the Government of Pakistan after a military coup on October 12, 1999, a democratically elected government has taken office in Pakistan as of March 25, 2008, permitting immediate resumption of assistance,” Rice said, while testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in Karachi, 12 lawyers were killed in violent clashes between Musharraf supporters and his opponents.

Pakistani lawyers have waged a campaign against Musharraf since he dismissed Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in November last year, during a six-week period of emergency rule, thus thwarting an attempt by the chief justice to pass a ruling against the legitimacy of his re-election as president a month earlier.

The new coalition government, led by the former opposition Pakistan People’s Party, promised last month it would reinstate Chaudhry and 12 other judges, who were dismissed by Musharraf.