US announces $101m for Pakistan to strengthen democracy, fight terrorism

The United States has announced $101 million for Pakistan to strengthen democracy and fight terrorism. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told a press briefing that the amount will fund programs that strengthen democracy and civil society.

The Biden administration requested a $585 million budget from Congress for South and Central Asian countries, of which $101 million will be set aside for Pakistan. “The amount will be used to fund programs that strengthen democracy and civil society, counter terrorism and extremism, and support economic reforms and debt management,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller explained.

“We have made similar budget requests and received similar budget authority from Congress in the past. We have used the funds appropriated by Congress to invest in our partnership with Pakistan, and we would use funds, should they be appropriated by Congress, to invest in similar programs as we have in this fiscal year and previous ones,” he noted.

When asked about Congressman Brad Sherman’s statement, urging the US Ambassador in Pakistan to meet jailed PTI leader Imran Khan, Matthew Miller said he was not familiar with the statement but clarified that “internal political matters in Pakistan are something that we do not take a position on.” He added, “We urge respect for democracy, human rights, and equal treatment of all political parties.”

In response to a question about Indian media reports that in a few states the BJP government is forcing Muslim restaurant owners to display their Muslim names at their eateries, Miller said the US was aware of the reports.

“We have seen those reports. We have also seen reports that the Indian Supreme Court issued an interim stay on the implementation of those rules on July 22. So they’re not actually in effect,” he said.

“Speaking generally, we are always committed to promoting and protecting universal respect for the right to freedom of religion and belief for all anywhere in the world. And we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on the importance of equal treatment for members of all religions,” remarked Miller.