In the latest blow to already fragile ties between the United States and Pakistan, the Defense Department said on Saturday it has suspended $300 million in funding to Islamabad over what it calls the government's failure to take action against terrorists.
The suspension is part of a broader pullback in military aid for Pakistan announced by the Trump administration in January. The administration says Pakistan is not taking strong enough steps to combat the Taliban and other groups. Pakistan, which serves as a key route for transporting supplies to U.S. forces in Afghanistan, has repeatedly denied harboring terrorists.
The aid that's being suspended comes from the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), which is used to reimburse U.S. partners for logistical and military support to U.S. military operations in the region.
"Due to a lack of Pakistani decisive actions in support of the South Asia Strategy," the $300 million was redirected to "other urgent priorities" before those funds were set to expire on September 30, U.S. Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Koné Faulkner told NPR.
The South Asia Strategy, announced by President Trump last August, encompasses Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and the Central Asian nations and aims in part to "stop the resurgence of safe havens that enable terrorists to threaten America," according to a press release from the Department of Defense. Extremists often use Pakistan to take refuge from American military action in Afghanistan.
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04.29.2025