The Trump administration will not give $350 million in coalition support fund to Pakistan after the US defence secretary said that he cannot certify that Islamabad has taken “sufficient actions” against the dreaded Haqqani terror network, an official said on Friday.
The Pentagon’s decision came ahead of a review of US policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan. As a result of the notification by defence secretary James Mattis to Congress, the department of defence has reprogrammed remaining Coalition Support Funds, which is $350 million, to other accounts, defence department spokesman Adam Stump said.
“Secretary Mattis has informed congressional defence 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 (FY) 2016 Coalition Support Funds (CSF),” Mr Stump said.
Pakistan-based Haqqani network is blamed for a number of high-profile attacks on US and Western interests in war-torn Afghanistan.
The terror group is also blamed for several deadly attacks against Indian interests in Afghanistan, including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul that killed 58 people.
This is for the second consecutive year that the US defence secretary has refused to certify to Congress.
