Kerry –Lugar Bill a Gift for People of Pakistan

Reader comment on: U.S. policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan under the Obama administration

Submitted by M.AKRAM KHAN NIAZI FROM KARACHI, PAKISTAN (Pakistan), Jan 23, 2010 17:12

With the approval of Kerry-Lugar bill a new era will be started in the mutual relations of USA and Pakistan, as this bill is mainly focused on the prosperity of common people with reference to education, health, peace and development, therefore Military and Civilian bureaucracy is making each and every effort to prevent and block USA in helping and providing help to common people of Pakistan, so that this so called Military and Civilian bureaucracy could continue victimization of common people of Pakistan for their luxuries on one side and maligning USA for problems of Pakistan on other side.

Some points which clearly indicate the sincerity of USA government are as follows.

· The United States intends to work with the Government of Pakistan to build mutual trust and confidence by actively and consistently pursuing a sustained, long-term, multifaceted relationship between the two countries, devoted to strengthening the mutual security, stability, and prosperity of both countries;

Support for Democracy and Prevention of Dictatorship.

· Support for efforts to strengthen Pakistan's institutions, including the capacity of the National Parliament of Pakistan, such as enhancing the capacity of committees to oversee government activities, including national security issues, enhancing the ability of members of parliament to respond to constituents, and supporting of parliamentary leadership;

· To support the people of Pakistan and their democratic government in their efforts to consolidate democracy, including strengthening Pakistan's parliament.

· To support democratic institutions in Pakistan in order to strengthen civilian rule and long- term stability, including assistance such as–

To help and strengthen the institutions of democratic governance and promote control of military institutions by a democratically elected civilian government.

· IN GENERAL- The Secretary of State is authorized to establish an exchange program between– Military and civilian personnel of Pakistan; and military and civilian personnel of countries determined by the Secretary of State to be in the process of consolidating and strengthening a democratic form of government; or military and civilian personnel of North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries, in order to foster greater mutual respect for and understanding of the principle of civilian rule of the military.

To ensure that security forces of Pakistan are not materially and substantially subverting the political or judicial processes of Pakistan.

S upport for Judicial system and Rule of Law

· Helping Pakistan reestablish an independent and transparent judicial system, and working to extend the rule of law in all areas in Pakistan;

· Support for independent, efficient, and effective judicial and criminal justice systems, such as case management, training, and efforts to enhance the rule of law to all areas in Pakistan;

· Support for the implementation of legal and political reforms in the FATA;

· To support the expansion of rule of law, build the capacity of government institutions, and promote respect for internationally-recognized human rights;

To ensure that security forces of Pakistan are not materially and substantially subverting the political or judicial processes of Pakistan.

Support for Human Rights

· Support for internationally recognized human rights, including strengthening civil society and nongovernmental organizations working in the area of internationally recognized human rights, as well as organizations that focus on protection of women and girls, promotion of freedom of religion and religious tolerance, and protection of ethnic or religious minorities.

Support for Good Governance and Corruption Free Society.

· To support Pakistan's efforts to expand rule of law, build the capacity, transparency, and trust in government institutions.

· Supporting the establishment of frameworks that promote government transparency and criminalize corruption in both the government and private sector;

· Support for police professionalization, including training regarding use of force, human rights, and community policing;

· To strengthen public diplomacy.

Support for Economic Development and Freedom.

· To promote sustainable long-term development and infrastructure projects, including in healthcare, education, water management, and energy programs, in all areas of Pakistan, that are sustained and supported by each successive democratic government in Pakistan;

· To support economic freedom and sustainable economic development in Pakistan, including–

· Programs that support sustainable economic growth, including in rural areas, and the sustainable management of natural resources through investments in water resource management systems;

· Expansion of agricultural and rural development, such as farm-to-market roads, systems to prevent spoilage and waste, and other small-scale infrastructure improvements;

· Investments in energy, including energy generation and cross-border infrastructure projects with Afghanistan;

· Employment generation, including increasing investment in infrastructure projects, including construction of roads and the continued development of a national aviation industry and aviation infrastructure, as well as support for small and medium enterprises;

· Worker rights, including the right to form labor unions and legally enforce provisions safeguarding the rights of workers and local community stakeholders

· Access to microfinance for small business establishment and income generation, particularly for women; and

· Countering radicalization by providing economic, social, educational, and vocational opportunities and life-skills training to at-risk youth.

· To support investment in people, particularly women and children including those displaced in on-going counterinsurgency operations.

· To encourage the development of local analytical capacity to measure program effectiveness and progress on an integrated basis, especially across the areas of United States assistance and payments to Pakistan, and increase accountability for how such assistance and payments are being spent;

Promotion of Health

· Improving quality public health to eliminate diseases such as hepatitis and to reduce maternal and under-five mortality rate

· Building capacity for nongovernmental and civil society organizations, particularly organizations with demonstrated experience in delivering services to the people of Pakistan, particularly to women, children, and other vulnerable populations.

· Support for refugees and internally displaced persons and long-term development in regions of Pakistan where internal conflict and on-going counterinsurgency operations have caused large-scale displacement

Promotion of Education.

· Promoting modern, public primary and secondary education and vocational and technical training, including programs to assist in the development of modern, nationwide school curriculums for public, private, and religious schools; support for the proper oversight of all educational institutions, including religious schools, as required by Pakistani law; initiatives to enhance access to education and vocational and technical training for women and girls and to increase women's literacy, with a special emphasis on helping girls stay in school; and construction and maintenance of libraries and public schools;

· Programs relating to higher education to ensure a breadth and consistency of Pakistani graduates, including through public-private partnerships;

· To ensure that all the people of Pakistan, including those living in areas governed by the Frontier Crimes Regulation, have access to public, modernized education and vocational training to enable them to provide for themselves, for their families, and for a more prosperous future for their children;

· To support the strengthening of core curricula and the quality of schools across Pakistan, including madrassas, in order to improve the prospects for Pakistani children's futures and eliminate incitements to violence and intolerance;

· Increase oversight over curriculum in madrassas, including closing madrassas with direct links to the Taliban or other extremist and terrorist groups; and

· To encourage and promote public-private partnerships in Pakistan in order to bolster ongoing development efforts and strengthen economic prospects, especially with respect to opportunities to build civic responsibility and professional skills of the people of Pakistan, including support for institutions of higher learning with international accreditation;

· Expanded exchange activities under the Fulbright Program, the International Visitor Leadership Program, the Youth Exchange and Study Program, and related programs administered by the Department of State designed to promote mutual understanding and interfaith dialogue and expand sister institution programs between United States and Pakistani schools and universities.

· To expand people-to-people engagement between the two countries, through increased educational, technical, and cultural exchanges and other methods;

· To explore means to consult with and utilize the relevant expertise and skills of the Pakistani-American community.

· Support for voter education and civil society training as well as appropriate support for political party capacity building and responsiveness to the needs of all the people of Pakistan.

Support for countering Terrorism

· To strengthen public diplomacy to combat militant extremism and promote a better understanding of the United States, including-

· Encouraging civil society, respected scholars, and other leaders to speak out against against militancy and violence.

· To assist Pakistan's efforts to improve counterterrorism financing and anti-money laundering regulatory structure in order to achieve international standards and encourage Pakistan to apply for 'Financial Action Task Force' observer status and adhere to the United Nations International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism;

· To strengthen Pakistan's counterinsurgency and counterterrorism strategy to help prevent any territory of Pakistan from being used as a base or conduit for terrorist attacks in Pakistan or elsewhere;

· To strengthen Pakistan's efforts to develop strong and effective law enforcement and national defense forces under civilian leadership;

· An analysis for the suitable replacement for existing Pakistani helicopters, including recommendations for sustainment and training.

· To strengthen Pakistan's efforts to gain control of its under-governed areas and address the threat posed by any person or group that conducts violence, sabotage, or other terrorist activities in Pakistan or its neighboring countries; and

· To support Pakistan's paramount national security need to fight and win the ongoing counterinsurgency within its borders in accordance with its national security interests;

· To work with the Government of Pakistan to improve Pakistan's border security and control and help prevent any Pakistani territory from being used as a base or conduit for terrorist attacks in Pakistan, or elsewhere;

· To work in close cooperation with the Government of Pakistan to coordinate action against extremist and terrorist targets; and

· The Government of Pakistan during the preceding fiscal year has demonstrated a sustained commitment to and is making significant efforts towards combating terrorist groups, consistent with the purposes of assistance described in section 201, including taking into account the extent to which the Government of Pakistan has made progress on matters such as–

· Ceasing support, including by any elements within the Pakistan military or its intelligence agency, to extremist and terrorist groups, particularly to any group that has conducted attacks against United States or coalition forces in Afghanistan, or against the territory or people of neighboring countries;

· Preventing al Qaeda, the Taliban and associated terrorist groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, from operating in the territory of Pakistan, including carrying out cross-border attacks into neighboring countries, closing terrorist camps in the FATA, dismantling terrorist bases of operations in other parts of the country, including Quetta and Muridke, and taking action when provided with intelligence about high-level terrorist targets; and

· Strengthening counterterrorism and anti-money laundering laws; and

· Improve counterterrorism financing and anti-money laundering laws, apply for observer status for the Financial Action Task Force, and take steps to adhere to the United Nations International Convention for the Suppression of Financing of Terrorism

(1) SENSE OF CONGRESS- It is the sense of Congress that the achievement of United States national security goals to eliminate terrorist threats and close safe havens in Pakistan requires the development of a comprehensive plan that utilizes all elements of national power, including in coordination and cooperation with other concerned governments, and that it is critical to Pakistan's long-term prosperity and security to strengthen regional relationships among India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

(2) COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY- The President shall develop a comprehensive interagency regional security strategy to eliminate terrorist threats and close safe havens in Pakistan, including by working with the Government of Pakistan and other relevant governments and organizations in the region and elsewhere, as appropriate, to best implement effective counterinsurgency and counterterrorism efforts in and near the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, including the FATA, the NWFP, parts of Balochistan, and parts of Punjab.

Proliferation of Nuclear Materials.

· To achieve full cooperation in matters of counter-proliferation of nuclear materials and related networks;

· The Government of Pakistan is continuing to cooperate with the United States in efforts to dismantle supplier networks relating to the acquisition of nuclear weapons-related materials, such as providing relevant information from or direct access to Pakistani nationals associated with such networks;

· A detailed description of Pakistan's efforts to prevent proliferation of nuclear-related material and expertise;

· An assessment of whether assistance provided to Pakistan has directly or indirectly aided the expansion of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, whether by the diversion of United States assistance or the reallocation of Pakistan's financial resources that would otherwise be spent for programs and activities unrelated to its nuclear weapons program;

Eradication of Narcotics and Social Evils

· Support to counter the narcotics trade;

Support for Freedom of Expression:

· Support for promotion of a responsible, capable, and independent media.

Conclusion: From all above points it is crystal clear that Kerry-Lugar Bill is in the best interest of people of Pakistan; all those who are opposing this bill are the enemies of Pakistan and have their vested interests in poverty and corruption and in plight of people of Pakistan.

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