US House Removes Last Pakistan SanctionsThe US House voted Tuesday in Washington to lift the last remaining economic sanctions against Pakistan.The voice vote in the House came after the Senate approved the legislation on October 4. President George W. Bush must sign the bill before it takes effect. The bill allows Bush to waive sanctions that restrict economic and military aid to Pakistan for the fiscal years 2002, which began on October 1, and 2003. Bush dropped sanctions last month that were imposed on Pakistan and India after the two countries tested nuclear weapons in 1998. The sanctions barred economic and military assistance. The move is the latest in a series of steps the United States has taken to boost relations with Pakistan, which has emerged since the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington as a key ally in the hunt for suspected mastermind Osama bin Laden and the campaign against neighboring Afghanistan's Taliban. Bush has already promised Islamabad US$100 million in economic aid. The United States and Pakistan have also signed an agreement recently to reschedule 379 million dollars in Pakistani debt. |
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