Washington: The United States has slashed about 350 million dollars foreign aid to Pakistan, citing its poor human rights record and failure to do enough to improve democracy.
The House of Representatives, in the Foreign Appropriations Bill for Fiscal 2007, reduced economic support funds for Pakistan from the current year by $250 million.
Foreign Military Financing funds for next year dropped to $200 million, with a decrease of $100 million from the current fiscal year.
"From the full pardon that President Musharraf granted Abdul Qadeer Khan, who admitted to spreading nuclear weapons technology to Iran and North Korea, to frequent reports of human rights abuses, Pakistan cannot expect full support from the United States without providing answers to some serious questions," Democratic Congressman Joseph Crowley said in a statement.
Crowley, who is a senior Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, welcomed the House action, saying "by reducing this aid to Pakistan, we are sending a message that democracy must eventually be restored and that human rights must be upheld".
"Even with our allies, the United States firmly is committed to seeing that all people are treated with the respect and dignity of the rule of law," he added.
The bill specifically cited the increasing lack of respect for human rights, especially womens' rights, and the lack of progress for improving democratic governance and the rule of law, as the main reasons for reducing Pakistan's funds.
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