Here comes another Aid package!

The ‘Kerry Lugar bill’ presented in US senate pledges more in aid to an ever wanting Pakistan. The better part of this one, making it different from earlier aid packages, is not the increased number of dollar bills but the vivid specification of its usage here.

Pakistan has never been poor in getting aid from the west, but what it has lacked is a proper and accountable arrangement for utilisation of aid money. Now that the package clearly specifies that military and economic aid would not be mixed up, it would be significantly beneficial for the social sector uplift.

Because of the ever prevailing state of conflict with India, the military has been a major user of all foreign aid, leaving economic development to suffer badly. India itself has been suffering in much the same manner.

Today, South Asia sits on a powder keg due to imbalanced policies of its major countries. The world in general and the US in particular should work on diffusing the situation, for the sake of humanity, for once.

A suggestion, to achieve this end, is to convince the South Asian Countries particularly India, Pakistan and Afghanistan to enter into a ‘no war’ pact and voluntarily freeze military spending for the next 20 years. During this period, these poverty ridden countries should spend all their money on health, education and social uplift sectors.

Easier said than done, but not an impossible proposition. Such a pact guaranteed by world powers (aka the UN ), would be overwhelmingly welcomed by the people of these war weary nations.

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