Kerry–Lugar–Berman: $7.5 billion promised for Pakistan’s people

Background

Most American aid to Pakistan after 2001 had gone to the military or to budget support for Musharraf's government. Senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar, with Representative Howard Berman in the House, argued that a long-term, predictable commitment to Pakistan's civilian institutions and people would counter the perception that Washington cared only about security and would strengthen the new elected government.

What happened

The Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act (S. 1707) passed the Senate unanimously on 24 September 2009 and the House on 30 September; President Obama signed it on 15 October as Public Law 111-73^1,2. It authorised $1.5 billion a year in civilian assistance for fiscal years 2010 to 2014 - $7.5 billion in total - for purposes including energy, education, health, agriculture, governance and democratic institutions¹. Security assistance was made subject to certifications, including that Pakistan was cooperating against nuclear proliferation networks and making sustained efforts against terrorist groups, and that its security forces were not subverting the political or judicial process^1,3.

In Pakistan the law set off a political storm. On 7 October the army's corps commanders expressed "serious concern" about clauses they said affected national security; among other things, they objected to language about civilian oversight of senior military promotions³. Opposition parties called it an affront to sovereignty, while the PPP government welcomed the funds. On 14 October the chairmen of the two foreign affairs committees, Kerry and Berman, issued a joint explanatory statement, standing beside Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, which said the act did not seek to compromise Pakistan's sovereignty and attached no conditions on Pakistan to the civilian aid; the controversy subsided^6,7.

Why it mattered

The act was a deliberate attempt to rebalance the relationship toward the Pakistani public - the largest civilian commitment Washington had made to Pakistan. It funded power plants, dams, scholarships and health programmes. But it also showed how sensitive Pakistanis had become to anything that looked like American dictation.

Delivery

Disbursement fell far short of the headline. Projects were slowed by security conditions, by the difficulty of channelling money through Pakistani institutions, and by the collapse of trust in 2011. Analyses by the Center for Global Development and reporting by Dawn found that only a little over half of the authorised amount - figures of roughly $3–5 billion are cited depending on how off-budget spending is counted - had actually been spent by the end of the authorisation period^4,5.

Legacy

Authorisation lapsed in 2014 and was not renewed at the same level. Kerry–Lugar–Berman remains a reference point in both countries: for Americans, of a well-intentioned effort to invest in Pakistan's people; for many Pakistanis, of promises larger than delivery.