Pak altered missiles to target India: US

The US has accused Pakistan of illegally modifying Americanmade missiles to expand its capability to strike land targets, a potential threat to India, according to senior US officials.

The charge, which set off a new outbreak of tensions between the US and Pakistan, was made in an unpublicised diplomatic protest in late June to the Prime Minister, Mr Yousaf Raza Gilani, and top Pakistani officials.

The accusation comes at a particularly delicate time, when the administration is asking Congress to approve $7.5 billion in aid to Pakistan over the next five years, and when Washington is pressing a reluctant Pakistani military to focus its attentions on fighting the Taliban, rather than expanding its nuclear and conventional forces aimed at India.

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United States Pakistan bill ignores Indian concerns

The Kerry-Lugar bill, which triples US aid to Islamabad, seems to have ignored New Delhi’s concern about use of Pakistani soil for terror attacks in India, even as it requires presidential certification that the Pakistan Army is making “concerted efforts” against Taliban.

The bill, which was unanimously passed by the US Senate on Wednesday, requires annual certification from the US President that the Pakistani security forces are “making concerted efforts to prevent the Taliban from using the territory of Pakistan as a sanctuary from which to launch attacks within Afghanistan.”

By doing so, the Kerry-Lugar bill, which is supported by the Obama Administration, indicates that its focus is on Afghanistan and appears to be mute on the terrorist attacks.

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