In the United States, Appropriations committees in the Senate as well as in the House of representatives have proposed tougher conditions for US aid both military and economic to Pakistan. The committees called for meeting benchmarks for progress in the fight against terrorism.
Passing the annual appropriations bill for the State Department for the year 2018, the Senate Appropriations Committee said it remains concerned with the commitment by Pakistan to US strategic objectives in the region, including combating terrorism.
The Secretary of State is now required to give certification to the Congress that Islamabad is cooperating with the United States in counter terrorism efforts against the Haqqani Network, the Quetta Shura Taliban, Lashkar e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Al-Qaeda, and other domestic and foreign terrorist organisations.
This also includes taking effective steps to end support for such groups and prevent them from basing and operating in Pakistan and carrying out cross border attacks into neighbouring countries.
The Secretary of State also needs to give certification that Islamabad is not supporting terrorist activities against United States or coalition forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies are not intervening extra-judicially into political and judicial processes in Pakistan
