22 U.S.C. § 8403 — Statement of principles

Congress declares that the relationship between the United States and Pakistan should be based on these principles: (1) Pakistan is a critical friend and ally of the United States in both difficult times and peaceful times. The two countries share many goals, including fighting terrorism and violent radicalism, strengthening democracy and the rule of law in Pakistan, and promoting Pakistan’s social and economic development. (2) United States assistance to Pakistan is meant to add to Pakistan’s own efforts to build a stable, secure, and prosperous country, not replace those efforts. (3) The United States needs a balanced, integrated strategy covering all of Pakistan. The strategy should provide assistance throughout the country and should not put a disproportionate focus on security assistance or on one particular area or province. (4) The United States supports Pakistan’s fight against extremist groups and recognizes the great sacrifice Pakistan has made in fighting terrorism, including the deaths of more than 1,900 Pakistani soldiers and police officers since 2001 while fighting al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other extremist and terrorist groups. (5) The United States intends to work with Pakistan’s Government—(A) to build mutual trust and confidence by actively and consistently pursuing a lasting, long-term, many-sided relationship focused on strengthening the security, stability, and prosperity that both countries share; (B) to support the people of Pakistan and their democratic government as they strengthen democracy. This includes strengthening Pakistan’s Parliament, helping Pakistan restore an independent and transparent court system, and working to extend the rule of law throughout Pakistan; (C) to promote long-term development and infrastructure projects that can continue over time, including projects in health care, education, water management, and energy programs, in every part of Pakistan. Each later democratic government in Pakistan should continue to support those projects; (D) to make sure all people in Pakistan, including people living in areas governed by the Frontier Crimes Regulation^*, can get public, modern education and job training. This should help them support themselves, support their families, and create a more prosperous future for their children; (E) to support stronger core school subjects and better school quality throughout Pakistan, including in madrassas, to improve Pakistani children’s future prospects and remove encouragements of violence and intolerance; (F) to encourage and promote partnerships between the public and private sectors in Pakistan. These partnerships should strengthen continuing development efforts and economic opportunities, especially opportunities to build civic responsibility and job skills among the people of Pakistan. This includes supporting higher-education institutions with international accreditation; (G) to expand direct contact between people in the two countries through more educational, technical, and cultural exchanges and other methods; (H) to encourage the development of local ability to analyze and measure program effectiveness and progress in an integrated way, especially across United States assistance and payments to Pakistan, and to increase accountability for how that assistance and those payments are spent; (I) to help Pakistan improve its rules and institutions for stopping terrorist financing and money laundering so they meet international standards, and to encourage Pakistan to apply for observer status in the “Financial Action Task Force” and follow the United Nations International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. This section does not define the quoted term “Financial Action Task Force”; (J) to strengthen Pakistan’s counterinsurgency^* and counterterrorism^* strategy so that no territory of Pakistan is used as a base or route for terrorist attacks in Pakistan or elsewhere; (K) to strengthen Pakistan’s efforts to develop strong and effective law-enforcement and national-defense forces under civilian leadership; (L) to achieve full cooperation on stopping the spread of nuclear materials and related networks; (M) to strengthen Pakistan’s efforts to gain control over areas that are governed inadequately and to address the threat from any person or group that carries out violence, sabotage, or other terrorist activities in Pakistan or in countries next to Pakistan; and (N) to look for ways to consult with and use the relevant knowledge and skills of the Pakistani-American community.