John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

Australia is a founding member of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan group. At the Pakistan Donors’ Conference in Tokyo last month the Minister for Foreign Affairs announced that Australia would significantly increase its development assistance to Pakistan. Our aid program to Pakistan will rise to $120 million over two years. Part of this aid will be directed to the border areas. We will increase our aid to these regions in response to humanitarian need and to help improve basic services such as health and education. Our aid program will also focus on improving rural livelihoods, strengthening standards of democratic governance and protecting internationally recognised human rights standards.