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Citing that India is its vital strategic partner, United States has mentioned that the military aid is being provided to Pakistan for facing the threats which are common to all the three nations.
According to State Department spokesman Ian Kelly, who was answering when asked about US had informed India regarding the new $2.3 billion military aid package for Pakistan, "Our assistance to Pakistan is designed to meet a common threat”.
"This is a threat not only to Pakistan, but also to the US, and we would argue to India as well, and that's the threat of militant religious extremism."
When asked about the way to ensure the proper utilization of the aid package by Pakistan, he said "And so our entire package is designed to help Pakistan in the spirit of partnership to meet this challenge”.
"And our relationship with India is strategic and important, and we are conducting our assistance with Pakistan in a very open and transparent way in general - with the public, with the media, and with important strategic partners like India," Kelly said.
When enquired on the balanced distribution of US aid to India and Pakistan, he said, “Our assistance to Pakistan is primarily designed to meet this common threat, a threat to all of our partners and democracies in the region. It's not designed against any other neighbour in the region”.
The spokesman said he did not have details of a military package for India which may be a discussion topic during Manmohan Singh’s US visit on Nov 24.
"As far as the details of a military package for India, I don't have the - I don't know what the scope of this package is, so I can't really comment on it, but our cooperation with India is important, and as I say, it's strategic," Kelly said.
The official also could not say what would be on the agenda of US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke when he visits India towards the end of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Pakistan.
