US should end discrimination towards Pak to ink civil nuke deal: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD - Reiterating the country’s long standing demand, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that the United States must end its ‘discriminatory’ behaviour and enter into a civil nuclear deal to help it address the massive energy crisis prevailing in the country.

During a meeting with US Congressman Howard Burman, Qureshi said Washington must help Islamabad to resurrect the sluggish economy and issues like the huge electricity and water crises, The Dawn reports.

Qureshi told Burman that the counter-terrorism efforts would not achieve the desired results unless the US provides monetary assistance it has pledged under the Kerry-Lugar Bill and Coalition Support Fund (CSF)

Meanwhile, the US has released the final instalment of 467 million dollars under the CSF as reimbursement for Pakistan for the cost incurred during the counterinsurgency operation in 2009.

The CSF was established by the United States in 2001 to support 27 nations, including Pakistan, for some of the costs they incurred in anti-terror operations. Since 2001, Washington has reimbursed approximately 7.2 billion to various countries.

In addition to the CSF, Pakistan has received a total of four billion dollars in civilian and security assistance from the US over the last three years. (ANI)