I won't say that the state department will take that position. The state department would be looking into it and the US ambassador in Islamabad too is looking into it. They have gone out in the forefront in 2006 and 2007, trying to get the key players to the table. So we need to do more than military focus.

We need economic development, assistance, health care, educational assistance. We need the whole package as opposed to a military focus. I think the defence priority is for the military. But I think even now, the defence department, you may be aware, is more into humanitarian type of issues and assistance across the globe.

So I think there is an effort on the part of the US government to move more in the direction of having a complete comprehensive package. It's going to take time. There are going to be challenges associated with that. It is important that the fund goes forward. The defence department is putting into practice our recommendations.

One of the other key recommendations is to try to work with the Pakistani government, the newly-elected government, to try to see if we can do some sort of spot checks or get better evidence and support before we reimburse them for their claims, and not just take them on their word. Let us see evidence. We are seeing some enhancement in the evidence over time.

The CIA operations to hunt down Osama bin Laden are not included in this, right?

That is not included in the $10 billion.

Do you have any proof of money not being used properly?

We actually have proof that accountability is lacking or could be enhanced. A good example is pointed out in our report, on the inconsistencies that the US has paid to reimburse Pakistan for navy boats, for example -- we paid them, then later we did not pay them, then we paid them, there is that kind of inconsistency in the accounting. We question why would you reimburse them for something one time and not reimburse them the next time.

Can you point out who did this?

If there was sufficient evidence we could do that. All we know is that we paid them in one instance and did not pay them in an identical second instance, but we have no evidence behind why we paid them.

Who will have the evidence?

Well, the Pakistani government should be providing that evidence. If the Pakistani government had done that, the department of defence would have it, and we would have seen it -- but we have seen no such evidence.

Do you have any idea of how much money has been spent by America, via the Pakistan government, to find Osama bin Laden?

No. I think the coalition funds officers keep auditing the money that we talked about, and I gave you the figure earlier, about close to $7 billion in Pakistan for military operations. But it is over $10 billion in all.

Image: Tribesmen gather around an unexploded bomb after an airstrike by the Pakistani army in the Zamazula area of the South Waziristan tribal district. Photograph: S H Khan/AFP/Getty Images.

Also read: US, Pakistan talk strategy in Indian Ocean

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