Pakistan Concerned Over Aid Package Awaiting Obama Signature

The Obama administration and the Congress find themselves in a pickle over an aid package for Pakistan which the Pakistani's are not eager to see signed by President Obama. Pakistan's Foreign Minister is in Washington this week to raise concerns with U.S. officials about conditions in the legislation that the Pakistani's view as strings attached to the aid money.

"I was sent by the government of Pakistan with a message from parliament," said a stern faced Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, following a meeting with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman and sponsor of the legislation, John Kerry (D-MA). "It is my responsibility as a friend of this relationship, a person who wants to deepen and strengthen, that we address those concerns," he continued.

Quereshi met with US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke prior to meeting with Senator Kerry.

The legislation in question is the "Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009" -- a bill which was passed unanimously by both the House and the Senate last month. It was delivered to the President a week ago and awaits his signature.

While the Pakistani's were initially pleased with the bill's promise of $7.5 billion over the next five years, the Pakistani military has complained that money intended to fight terrorism will be contingent on security improvements.

Pakistan now finds itself in a parliamentary debate over the matter, a point which the U.S. government welcomes. "We think this is part of a very healthy debate," said State Department spokesman PJ Crowley, "that has started within this country, in terms of how to best support Pakistan, going forward; now is being debated within Pakistan. We think that this represents, the very kind of durable political processes that we welcome in Pakistan."

The White House Tuesday acknowledged that some aid packages often do come with conditions. "The president believes this is appropriate," explained press secretary Robert Gibbs. But Gibbs also noted that he thought opposition to the aid bill is 'misinformed' or mischaracterized.

Senator Kerry agreed, calling his meeting with Qureshi today, "a welcome opportunity to hear from him during which time he expressed to me very clearly and forcefully the ways in which the act has been misinterpreted or interpreted by some in Pakistan and how important it is to our relationship to proceed forward."

While the discussions between Kerry and Qureshi will continue into Wednesday, the senator sought to clear up some perceptions on the spot. "There are no conditions of Pakistan attached to the aid," he said, with Qureshi at his side. "Second, on certain types of military aid, [we] don't require anything of Pakistan that isn't already the stated policy. Third, nothing in this bill is related to private security firms or drone attacks and finally there is nothing in this bill that impinges on Pakistani sovreignty."

Kerry is confident that by Wednesday he and Qureshi will be able to, "set the record absolutely straight."