KARACHI (May 05 2009): The Kerry-Lugar bill, a legislation which would triple non-military aid to Pakistan for the next one decade, was presented in the US Senate on Monday, Aaj TV reported. The bill has been jointly tabled by Senator John Kerry, who head the power Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate, and Senator Lugar.

Addressing a press conference after presenting the bill in US Senate, the co-sponsors of the bill underlined the need of quick proceeding on the bill in the wake of the prevailing situation of Pakistan. They said that US wanted to strengthen relations with Pakistani people, adding the country is facing multiple challenges.

The influential Senators said that Pakistan Army was taking action against Taliban. They pointed out that the military aid given to Pakistan during last eight years was not properly used. It is to be mentioned here that the legislation called the Kerry-Lugar bill, is an updated and revised version of the Biden-Lugar Bill, which lapsed in the previous Congress and will triple military aid to Pakistan to $1.5 billion.

The previous version of the bill was sponsored by Lugar and Joseph Biden, who is now the US Vice President. When the bill was introduced in the Senate in July 2008, Biden was the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.