Pakistan wary of taking 'obtrusive' US aid package

Pakistani foreign minister has traveled to Washington to convey Islamabad's concerns over accepting a generous but conditional US 'security' aid package.

"I will share concerns of our parliament and political and military leadership, with the US, over the conditions in Kerry-Lugar bill," said Foreign Minister Mehmood Qureshi ahead of the Monday trip, Press TV's Islamabad correspondent Javed Rana reported.

The bill, recently approved by the US Congress, offers USD-7.5-billion in assistance to Islamabad. It, however, insists on controlling the way the money is channeled, expressing distrust of the Pakistani military and intelligence agency.

"Pakistani military or its intelligence agency ceases support to terrorist groups that have conducted attacks against the US or its coalition forces in Afghanistan or the people in neighboring countries," reads one clause in the bill.

The Monday visit by the foreign minister came after the Pakistani opposition and military chiefs cautioned that the aid package may be a pretext for interfering in Pakistan's domestic affairs.

“The offending part of the legislation sets up the country as hired help and puts the military in the dock, presumed guilty on many counts and having to prove its innocence to Washington,” former Pakistani ambassador to Washington Maleeha Lodhi said, quoted by The New York Times.

"Neither would Pakistan compromise on its sovereignty, nor would it allow a micromanagement of our internal affairs,” Qureshi added.

The developments come as the US also considers extending to Pakistan its military campaign in Afghanistan, which, despite bringing about thousands of civilian casualties, has fallen short of arresting or eliminating any key militant leaders.

The current administration has already doubled the number of missile attacks on alleged militant hideouts on the common Pakistan-Afghanistan border causing tens of civilian casualties and conjuring up popular anti-American sentiment.