The Biden administration has recommended $101 million for Pakistan to help strengthen its democracy and fight terrorism.
State Department’s Assistant Secretary, Donald Lu, appeared before the House Foreign Affairs committee on Tuesday to explain the 2025 budget request for South and Central Asian countries.
“In Pakistan, we face ongoing challenges and opportunities,” Lu told the House members, highlighting the budget request for Pakistan at $101 million.
Lu said the money will be used to fight terrorism and extremism, support economic reforms and debt management, and strengthen democracy and civil society. The aid will also help stabilize Pakistan’s economy and prevent further overreliance on China.
“In Pakistan, we are focused on supporting democracy and human rights while advancing our critical fight against terrorism,” he said in his opening statement.
Regarding Afghanistan, Lu emphasized deep concerns about the situation for women, girls, and minority groups.
“In every meeting, we make clear to the Taliban that there will be no significant steps toward normalization unless the rights of all Afghans are respected,” he added. The US government continues to call on the Taliban to release all US citizens currently in Taliban custody.
“What are the trade-offs? In order to advance our Indo-Pacific goals, we are redirecting additional resources to South Asia. The president is requesting $585.7 million for South Asia, a 4.8 percent increase over FY23,” he told the panel.
