Legislation To End $2 Billion Aid To Pakistan Introduced In US Senate

Following up on United States (US) President Donald Trump’s public support of cutting aid to Pakistan, legislation to divert the funds to infrastructure development in the US itself has been introduced in the country’s senate.

The legislation seeks to redirect the $1.28 billion from the US State Department and $852 million from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the Highway Trust Fund instead.

The bill has been introduced by Senator Rand Paul, a prominent leader of the ruling Republican Party. “We fail our responsibilities to protect our country and properly steward taxpayers’ hard-earned money when we support countries that chant ‘Death to America’ and burn our flag”, the Republican Senator from Kentucky said.

“Let’s bring that money home and use it to help rebuild our infrastructure instead of giving it to a nation that persecutes Christians and imprisons people such as the doctor that helped us get Osama bin Laden”, he added.

In his first tweet of 2018, US President Donald Trump had trained his guns on Pakistan claiming that it had taken advantage of the aid given by the US and used it for it’s own malicious designs instead of countering terror.

Demonstrating bipartisan support for the measure, similar bills will be introduced in the house by Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from the opposition Democratic dispensation and Republican Mark Sanford as well.