WASHINGTON: A bill to fund the United States government also requires Pakistan to release Dr Shakil Afridi or forego $33 million from the annual assistance it receives from the US.

The bill binds the US administration to withhold $33 million from the funds meant for Pakistan “until the Secretary of State reports to Congress that Dr Shakil Afridi has been released from prison and cleared of all charges relating to the assistance provided to the United States in locating Osama bin Laden.”

In this bill, Congress also set aside clear benchmarks for Pakistan to fight terrorism, with a warning that the failure to do so could lead to the suspension of US assistance.

The suggested measures are included in a trillion-dollar spending bill Congress approved on Tuesday to fund the government for the remainder of the current fiscal year.

A portion of the bill comprises guidelines for the US on how to provide both military and economic assistance to Pakistan during the current fiscal year.

While outlining various conditions for continuing US assistance to Pakistan, Congress also requires the administration to devise a “spend plan,” which shall include “achievable and sustainable goals, benchmarks for measuring progress, and expected results for combating poverty and furthering development.”

The plan shall also include benchmarks for countering extremism, and establishing conditions conducive to the rule of law and transparent and accountable governance.

Not later than 6 months after submission of this spend plan, and each 6 months thereafter until Sept 30, 2015, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations on the status of achieving these goals and benchmarks.

“The Secretary of State should suspend assistance for the government of Pakistan if any report indicates that Pakistan is failing to make measurable progress in meeting such goals or benchmarks.”

Not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations detailing the costs and objectives associated with significant infrastructure projects supported by the United States in Pakistan, and an assessment of the extent to which such projects achieve such objectives.

Some of these conditions were already included in a defence authorisation bill passed last month which have now been further expanded. The defence authorisation act, however, did not deal with civilian assistance, which has now been included in the spending bill for the next fiscal year.

The bill clearly says that none of the funds meant for Pakistan under the headings ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, ‘‘International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement’’, and ‘‘Foreign Military Financing Programme can be distributed unless the US Secretary of State certifies that Islamabad is cooperating with the United States in counter-terrorism efforts against the Haqqani Network, the Quetta Shura Taliban, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Jaish-i-Muhammad, al Qaeda, and other domestic and foreign terrorist organisations.

This includes taking steps to end support for such groups and to prevent them from basing and operating in Pakistan and carrying out cross border attacks into neighbouring countries.

The Secretary of State will also need to certify that Pakistan is not supporting terrorist activities against United States or coalition forces in Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies are not intervening extra-judicially into political and judicial processes in Pakistan.

The secretary will also assure Congress that Pakistan is dismantling improvised explosive device (IED) networks and interdicting precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of IEDs.

The certificate should clearly state that Pakistan is preventing the proliferation of nuclear-related material and expertise.

The secretary will also certify that Pakistan is issuing visas in a timely manner for US visitors engaged in counterterrorism efforts, assistance programmes, and Department of State operations in Pakistan.

The certification will include another assurance that Pakistan is providing humanitarian organisations access to detainees, internally displaced persons, and other Pakistani civilians affected by the conflict.

The Secretary of State may waive some of requirements this act, after consultation with the Secretary of Defence, but will have to send a written justification to Congress, stating why Pakistan has not met those conditions.The bill also says that funds appropriated for the ‘‘Foreign Military Financing Programme” may be made available only to support counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency capabilities in Pakistan.

Funds appropriated by for ‘economic support, and non-proliferation, anti-terrorism, demining, and related programs shall be made available to interdict precursor materials from Pakistan to Afghanistan that are used to manufacture IEDs. These funds can also be used to support programmes to train border and customs officials in Pakistan and Afghanistan; and for agricultural extension programmes that encourage alternative fertiliser use among Pakistani farmers.

A separate section on funds for defence ‘‘operation and maintenance,” sets similar conditions for defence reimbursements to Pakistan.

Like the Secretary of State, the Defence Secretary can also issue a waiver after telling the lawmakers why he needed to do so.

Another section requires the Secretary of State to provide the Committees on Appropriations, not later than April 1, 2014, and for each fiscal quarter, a report in writing on the uses of funds made available under the heading, ‘‘Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund’’.