Dutch Govt freezes aid to Pakistan

The Dutch Government froze development aid to Pakistan on Monday in response to President Pervez Musharraf8217;s declaration of a state of emergency, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. The move was intended to pressurise Musharraf to restore democratic and constitutional processes spokesperson Francesco Mascini said. Deputy Minister for Development Bert Koenders decided on Monday to suspend the remainder of the Euro15 million that has yet to be paid this year. Most of the funds already have been transferred. However, the Netherlands planned to expand that to Euro40 million next year, mostly for educational and environmental purposes, Mascini said.