Bush waives last sanctions against Pakistan
US President George Bush has waived the last sanctions against Pakistan, clearing the way for a fresh infusion of financial aid to the key ally in the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan.
The move was announced yesterday and came after Bush dropped sanctions last month that were imposed on Pakistan and India when those two countries tested nuclear weapons in 1998.
Those sanctions barred economic and military assistance.
Bush signed legislation that allows him to waive the last remaining sanctions through September 2003. The Clinton administration imposed the punishment after General Pervez Musharraf took control of Pakistan’s government in a coup.
‘‘What this does is give the president the flexibility to authorise additional aid to Pakistan,’’ White House spokesman Sean McCormack said.
Bush approved the measure on Saturday, but the White House waited until last night to disclose the move.
The Bush administration has gone out of its way to woo the country since the September 11 attacks.
Anti-American and anti-government sentiment has swept across Pakistan since October 7, when the United States began air strikes on Afghan cities and against suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden’s installations in Afghanistan. Protests in Pakistan have been vehement and sometimes violent.
The administration plans to announce as early as this week new aid that could range from $300m (£206m) to $500m (£343m), administration officials have said. Bush has already committed $100m (£69m) in economic aid. The United States and Pakistan also recently rescheduled $379m (£260m) of Pakistan’s debt of about $3bn to the US (£2.06bn).
The administration also announced Bush will dine with Musharraf in New York next month during a meeting of the UN General Assembly.
