Pakistani FM: US aid crucial to fight extremists

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Pakistan's foreign minister says a proposed multi-billion dollar US aid package is crucial to Islamabad's efforts to fight extremists. Shah Mahmood Qureshi has also reassured the US the money will be spent properly in the country's interest.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistani FM, said, "Pakistan's democratic leadership is convinced that terrorists and their sympathizers can best be defeated in building a better future for the impoverished people of our country and of our immediate neighborhood. US assistance in this effort is not just aid, it is investment in American and global security."

The US aid bill would provide Pakistan with 1.5 billion US dollars a year over the next five years to spend on democratic, economic and social development programmes. It also allows the necessary sums for aid to the military as it fights militants who have wreaked havoc in Pakistan and across the border in Afghanistan. US says the bill is meant to alleviate widespread poverty in Pakistan.

But Pakistan's military has expressed serious concerns in a public statement on Wednesday, saying it could bolster opponents of the civilian administration.

Many Pakistanis also see the aid package as a sign of unwanted US influence.