Pakistani official says US aid won’t hurt sovereignty
Pakistan's foreign minister has now said he’s returning to Pakistan convinced the new multibillion-dollar US aid package does not harm Pakistan's sovereignty. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said US assurances would ''allay the fears of Pakistan''. The bill now awaits US President Barack Obama's signature to turn it into law. Shortly after he brushed off Pakistani complaints in Islamabad about the bill, Qureshi made a rushed visit to Washington as there was a growing clamour over the bill interfering with the military and the government. Democratic Senator John Kerry, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, has said that a statement to clarify points in the bill would be entered into the congressional record, although such statements do not carry the force of law. “Everybody is on the same page, and we are very clear about the intentions of the legislation,” Kerry said of Qureshi's hasty meetings with senior lawmakers and Obama administration officials.
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