Washington: The United States today said it has begun reviewing whether to suspend any of its multi- billion dollar aid programmes to Pakistan in the wake of imposition of emergency in that country.
 
"...we have people in the State Department, the Department of Defence, other government agencies taking a look at our assistance programmes to Pakistan, taking a look at those vis-a-vis the laws and legal requirements, our rules and regulations," State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said in a briefing. McCormack said he could not give a time-line for how long this review would be under way, but it s something that all concerned were actively engaged in.

"We take seriously our obligations under the law, and we are going to take a look at our programmes with respect to Pakistan," he said. McCormack said the ultimate goal is to make sure that anything that the US does helps Pakistan get further down that road of building democratic institutions, down the pathway to democracy, down the pathway to further political and economic reform.

"Now, we can help with that, but we all know that what needs to happen first is that President Pervez Musharraf and his government need to rescind and roll back the extra- constitutional orders that they have given, get back on the pathway to democracy," he said. "President Musharraf has made certain commitments with respect to taking off the uniform and to holding elections as scheduled in January. We have, through a number of different means, conveyed to him that we expect him to abide by those commitments," McCormack said.

Source : PTI