WASHINGTON Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi welcomed a giant US aid package for his country, voicing hope that alleviating poverty would erode support for extremism.

Congress on Wednesday gave the final go-ahead for a five-year, 7.5-billion-dollar package to build schools, roads and democratic institutions in the Islamic nuclear power, which re-established civilian rule last year.

Qureshi, who is holding talks in Washington next week, on Friday voiced appreciation for the package, acknowledging that the United States was allocating the money despite a struggling economy at home.

"This is an expression of commitment to Pakistan and the people of Pakistan because better education, better health, improvement in physical infrastructure will help the people of Pakistan," he told National Public Radio.

"The Taliban and the extremists have been extracting out of poverty and the misery of people in those areas. Obviously, when they're more enlightened and they're more educated, then they would not join them."

Qureshi did not deny that many Pakistanis felt bitterness toward the United States, which worked with Pakistan to force the Soviets out of neighboring Afghanistan in the 1980s but then eased its involvement.

"You abandoned us," he said.

President Barack Obama and congressional leaders say that the aid package is proof of a new US commitment to Pakistan and its people's needs.

Obama has made fighting Islamic extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan a top priority of his young presidency.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gYTZjd9A8KpvqoeBH857xZ70Jo7Q

Islamabad, Oct. 3 (ANI): As the Obama administration mulls over the channels to deliver economic aid to Pakistan, a Pakistani expert has warned that sending money directly to the Pakistan government would be a bad idea.

If Pakistanis want to steal money, theyll know how to do it in their own backyard. And youll never know, the Daily Times quoted Pakistani columnist Musharraf Zaidi, as saying.

According to a spokesperson of Deputy US Secretary of State, Jack Lew, the US is planning to scale back its use of foreign aid contractors in Pakistan and wants to funnel more money directly to the government and local groups.

The state is moving in the right direction as quickly as possible while ensuring that essential services are not disrupted in the process, Lew said.

Richard Holbrooke, the special envoy who oversees the majority of US policy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, has also said he wants to reduce the role of such contractors and favours steering more aid through the governments of both countries.

The White House, meanwhile, is not comfortable with giving money directly to Islamabad.

A July report for Harvard University entitled US Aid to Pakistan US Taxpayers Have Funded Pakistani Corruption claimed that US officials have been unable to monitor aid to the Tribal Areas because of the danger involved in travelling to the remote regions.

http://trak.in/news/pak-can-steal-us-aid-from-their-own-backyard-and-youll-never-know-says-expert/10055/

all kinds of aid to pakistan is welcome. country is unable to feed its population

Got to keep the beggars alive for another year.

^^^^^^

says the beggar who gets 8 bilion euros from germans a year!!!!!

and still want more.. you got no rival in begging landass

Stick it right up your crusty ass you IMF schwantz chorteller.

IMF??? that was at your age grandpa...

Now Turkiye doesnt loan any money from imf.. actually they are running after us but we dont sign a stand by..

unlike you beg your masters ha

This aid is not for govt...its for development of FATA after opreation...and before operation...and pay the bills of war on terror...

PEACE