US lawmakers seek to triple non-military aid to Pakistan: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Legislation was introduced Tuesday in Congress proposing non-military aid to Pakistan be tripled to 7.5 billion dollars over five years, and linking security aid to counter-terrorism performance.

The bipartisan legislation authorizes 1.5 billion dollars annually for development purposes, such as building schools, roads and clinics, for five years and advocates a similar amount over a subsequent five-year period, lawmakers said.

"Our bill represents a genuine sea-change -- one which will set the US-Pakistan policy on a safer and more successful course," said Senator Joseph Biden, the Democratic head of the Senate foreign relations committee.

"For far too long, our policy towards Pakistan has been in desperate need of a serious overhaul," the Democratic lawmaker told reporters.

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