Pentagon withholds Pakistan’s $300 million military aid

WASHINGTON (92 News) – The Pentagon has on Thursday withheld Pakistan’s $300 million in military reimbursements after US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter decided against making a certification to Congress stating that Pakistan is taking sufficient action against the Haqqani network. Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said that the funds could not be released to the government of Pakistan because the US defense secretary has not yet certified that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network. Stump said the decision, which means Pakistan will not receive $300 million in military reimbursement funding, was based on the continuing operations of the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani militants on Pakistani soil. The move ends a year of speculation about an aid program that has been fundamental to Pakistani military operations, and reveals the strains in Washington’s relations with an ally that many officials have accused of double-dealing with militant groups.