Click to play videoPittsburg: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is in New York with a mission. He wants $30 billion in aid from US, a demand he will make at the Friends of Pakistan meeting on Thursday.
The group brings together the US, European Union and 13 other countries to help secure and stabilise Pakistan and spur economic growth.
Meanwhile, the meeting has set off alarm bells in India. Pakistan's record of diverting international financial assistance to military purposes is well known.
Just a few days back, former President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf had revealed Pakistan’s misuse of the aids.
Musharraf had admitted in a television interview saying, “Yes whenever there is threat to Pakistan, we will use it. It the threat is form Taliban we will use it there and if it is against India it will still be used and the way US military aid has been used is completely justified.”
India's Ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar said, “The US government spokesman has made a comment that they are concerned about this but they don't have the details, and President Musharraf is a private citizen. But we would certainly hope that this issue would be taken seriously and that in devising the new aid package our concerns regarding this issue are taken on board.
Some of these concerns have been reflected in the US Congress. A recent debate on aid to Pakistan included demands from several Congressmen that there should be strict oversight to ensure funds are not misused or diverted.
No guarantees that at least some of the new aid being pledged to Pakistan will not be used against India. Indian protests have had little impact before, and are unlikely to now.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
 |
 |
 |
|
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.