KP or Pak govt be asked about Madrassa Haqqania funding: US

WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Friday that the question pertaining to funding for Madrassa Haqqania might be taken up either with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) or with the Pakistan government, international media reported.

Answering a question regarding the proposed funding to a Madrassa by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, US State Department Spokesperson John Kirby said, “We are aware of press reports stating that the KP government proposed a $3 million budget allocation to the Darul Uloom Haqqania seminary. I would refer you to the KP government or the Government of Pakistan with any questions concerning this funding.”

The KP government had announced to allocate $3 million for Darul Uloom Haqqania led by Maulana Samiul Haq because the seminary, KP government claimed, had acceded to carry out a reform programme announced by the provincial government led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of Imran Khan.

John Kirby, while briefing the newsmen in Washington on Thursday, said the US would carry on cooperation with Pakistan.John Kirby refused to comment on the statement of Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz regarding the US concerns over the Pak-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) and said that there were enormous challenges in the region. “We will continue to work with Pakistan to try to address those challenges,” he said.