Washington, Aug. 24: Environmental factors like the present floods could further weaken an already weak Pakistani state and add impetus to a return to military rule or a more bellicose posture towards India, warns a new US Congressional report.
Environmental stresses, when combined with the other socio-economic and political stresses on Pakistan, have the potential to further weaken an already weak Pakistani state, says the background report prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) for US lawmakers.
Some analysts argue that disagreements over water could also exacerbate existing tensions between India and Pakistan, the report says identifying it as an issue that may be of increasing concern given the importance of this region to US interests for many reasons.
Meanwhile, with Pakistan reeling under the worst floods in decades, the Obama Administration and key Congressional leaders have started a process to review and reassess the priorities in the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill that allocated $7.5 billion to Islamabad in five years.
With Pakistan seeking more international aid in view of the devastating floods that affected more than 20 million people, officials and Congressional aides are now considering options of allocating more money under the Bill.
The Kerry-Lugar-Berman money will overwhelmingly be used for recovery and reconstruction as opposed to the immediate relief issues.
“So as the scope and nat-ure of the recovery and rec-onstruction needs are kno-wn, we have a better sense of how we can redirect some of that money,” the deputy special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mr Dan Feldman, said.
In Islamabad, Pakistan authorities have decided that India and Israel will be the only two countries whose aid workers will not be granted special visas to join relief efforts for the millions of people affected by the country’s worst floods.
A letter sent by the Interior ministry to the foreign office made it clear that this special facility will not be available to Indian and Israeli nationals.