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‘Obama supports Pakistan economic aid expansion’

* US secretary of state-designate says Pakistan determined to curb extremism

WASHINGTON: United States secretary of state-designate Hillary Clinton on Wednesday assured lawmakers of president-elect Barack Obama’s support for a congressional measure tripling non-military assistance for Pakistan. Clinton also vowed to pursue a ‘positive’ relationship with Pakistan towards addressing the ‘tough and complicated’ problem of extremism afflicting the region. “Yes, the president-elect does support the legislation that you (Senator John Kerry) were part of, vice president-elect Joseph Biden and Senator (Richard) Lugar also. We want to try to begin to some extent to separate our military aid from our non-military aid.” “The tripling of non-military aid is intended to provide resources that will both support the Pakistani people and also give some tools to the democratically-elected government to try to start producing results for the people of Pakistan,” she told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at her confirmation hearing. Senator Kerry had asked Clinton to confirm that the new administration remained committed to the Biden-Lugar measure that sought to enhance economic assistance for Pakistan to $1.5 billion annually over a number of years. She said Pakistan faced the complex problem of extremism but its government was determined to curb the menace. app

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