US Budget Bill Seeks to Withhold Pakistan Aid Pending Release of Dr Shakil Afridi

Washington - A US funding bill for the 2026 fiscal year proposes withholding a portion of American assistance to Pakistan, according to the text of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives.

Under the bill, $33 million of the funds allocated for Pakistan would be withheld until the US Secretary of State certifies to Congress that Dr Shakil Afridi has been released from prison and cleared of all charges linked to his assistance to the United States in locating al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

This provision appears in the “South and Central Asia” section of the legislation, grouping Pakistan with Afghanistan and other countries in a region under heightened congressional scrutiny over security and human rights issues.

The same section explicitly prohibits any US assistance to the Taliban, stating that no funds appropriated under the current or previous Acts may be used to support the group in Afghanistan.

The bill also ties the region to broader human rights enforcement measures. It mandates visa restrictions on Chinese officials if the Secretary of State has credible information that they were involved in gross human rights violations against the people of Tibet.

Titled the Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026, the legislation was introduced on January 12 by Representative Tom Cole. It has been referred to the House Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on the Budget as part of a consolidated package to fund US government operations through September 30, 2026.

The bill covers funding for national security, diplomatic activities, and foreign assistance programmes administered by the US Department of State and related agencies. Regional allocations and conditions are detailed across multiple sections, with additional guidance provided through accompanying explanatory statements.

For South and Central Asia, the proposed legislation continues the practice of attaching political and legal conditions to US aid. Pakistan’s case is among the most explicit, directly linking the release of funds to a formal certification by the Secretary of State.

Dr Shakil Afridi was detained after assisting US intelligence in confirming the presence of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad ahead of the 2011 US operation that killed the al-Qaeda leader. His continued imprisonment has remained a contentious issue in US-Pakistan relations.

Over the years, the US Congress has frequently used appropriations bills to restrict or condition aid to Pakistan, citing concerns over counterterrorism cooperation and unresolved bilateral issues, even as Washington maintains engagement with the region on matters of security and stability.

With inputs from IANS