The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Monday expressed shock over the New York Times report about squandering of US aid aimed at providing assistance to Pakistan in the fight against terrorism. The report said Pakistan had received up to $11 billion in aid from the US, of which over $5 billion never reached the military units. “This is an insult to the brave soldiers of Pakistan who have always upheld their commitment to safeguard the country’s borders,” PPP Information Secretary Sherry Rehman said. She said the NYT report had exposed corruption in certain sections of defence, as there was hardly any justification for purchases made under various heads with the US money. She also expressed PPP’s concern over the mismanagement of the US funds.
“The purpose of war against terrorism is not only to eliminate terrorists, but to eradicate the root cause of terrorism. How can terrorism be rooted out if such a paltry allocation is made to critical social sectors,” she added.
Inability: She said the report had revealed the inability of the military regime to fight a war that was most important for the safety of its own citizens. “This also reflects the importance of a sovereign and strong parliament to safeguard the life and interests of both civilians and the military,” she said. She termed the 2002-2007 parliament as the “rubber stamp parliament”, which had failed in performing its constitutional duties and safeguarding public interests.
“The PPP is clear in its anti-terrorism stand and will work towards empowering the parliament, the public and the military to work jointly against the menace of terrorism,” she added.