India need not be concerned about US aid to Pak: Blake

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jul 1 (PTI) The United States says India need
not be concerned about its increased assistance to Pakistan.

It has sought to allay apprehensions that Islamabad may
use the aid to strengthen its military against India.

"As you know, the new focus in terms of our relationship
with Pakistan is to dramatically increase economic assistance
to Pakistan to help that country overcome some of its economic
challenges and to extend the writ of the government to other
parts of Pakistan," Assistant Secretary of State for South and
Central Asia Robert Blake told PTI.

"And all of those things should be very much in India's
interest as well," he said adding, "So I think, people of
India should support and agree with what we are trying to do."

On concerns about the use of American aid by Pakistan to
build up the military against India, Blake said Islamabad "is
increasingly focussed on dealing with the extremist problems
in its own country."

Terming militancy-hit Pakistan and Afghanistan as "a
strategic priority" for the US, he said it intends to consult
India "very closely" on meeting its goals in the region.

"As you say, Afghanistan and Pakistan is a strategic
priority. But I do not want to imply that that would come at
the expense of India. India would continue to be also a
strategic priority for the US. And I think that will come out
very clearly during Secretary (of State Hillary) Clinton's
visit" to New Delhi this month, he said. PTI