US State Department defends Pakistan aid

The State Department has defended US aid to Pakistan amid calls from Republican senators for a full review of its policy towards Islamabad, saying American assistance continues to yield dividends for both the countries.

"We believe our assistance to Pakistan still continues to provide dividends for the American people in trying to grow and strengthen Pakistan's democratic institutions, boost its economy," said spokesman Mark Toner.

"In the long term those are the kinds of things we're seeking to achieve," Toner told reporters at his daily news conference.

Toner's remarks came a day after two Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham said that Pakistan's response to the NATO-cross border action that killed its 24 soldiers has been deeply troubling and demanded that it is time the US fully reviewed its relationship with Pakistan.

"There was an incident on November 26 that was difficult for the Pakistani people, for the Pakistani government. They have reacted in a way that shows how important and how significant this tragedy was for them," Toner said.

"We have talked since November 26 about trying to overcome this latest challenge, this latest setback in the relationship. It's hard. You know, our leadership, as you cited, has been very forthcoming in saying that expressing condolences, sympathies, pledging to do a full investigation and really trying to address Pakistan's concerns about what happened," Toner said.