Washington: A top Democratic senator today proposed tripling non-military aid to Pakistan to USD 1.5 billion a year, while restricting money given for anti-terrorism operations.

Sen. Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the US has too little to show for the billions spent reimbursing Islamabad to go after terrorists along its troubled Afghan border. At the same time, not enough is being done to build schools, hospital clinics and roads in the region, where extremists have found refuge.

"We believe we re paying too much and getting too little. The Pakistanis believe exactly the opposite," said Sen. Joseph Biden, a Democrat and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

"Both sides feel that the costs of the relationship may soon outweigh the benefits" he said. "The status quo is unsustainable."

Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said the administration was open to considering Biden's approach.

"While we do not agree on every point in the current version of the proposed legislation, we welcome this initiative and feel strongly that a new, bipartisan commitment to partnership with Pakistan is crucial," Boucher told the committee.

Boucher testified on the heels of an independent audit that concluded the US has little proof that the USD 5.6 billion given to Pakistan to go after terrorists since 2001 has been used for that purpose.

Overall, the US has given Pakistan USD 10.8 billion in economic and military aid since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Source : PTI