Recent U.S. policy toward Pakistan has focused mainly on military issues, but Pakistan has urgent needs in its education and health care systems as well. To help strengthen Pakistan’s civil society and win the respect and admiration of Pakistanis, U.S. policy should place a renewed emphasis on health care and education.

Policy Recommendations:

Non-military aid should be tied to measurable outcomes. For example, in education, set goals for the literacy rate to go up by a certain percentage each year. For health care, set goals such as improving the percentage of children with immunizations, reducing the infant mortality rate, or nearing the eradication of polio. There is a need for overall improvement in leading indicators.

Provide broad humanitarian assistance. The vast majority of U.S. aid to Pakistan has gone to the Pakistani military – weapons, equipment, and infrastructure. Instead, the U.S. should provide a broader range of humanitarian assistance to Pakistan that focuses on education and health care, as these are the types of services that will help bolster the authority of Pakistan’s civilian government while undermining the appeal of extremists.

Allocate funds to help Pakistani victims of terrorism, particularly the internally displaced persons (IDPs). Funding for victims of terrorism should be targeted not only for immediate needs but should also include long-term rehabilitation: rebuilding their lives, homes, schools and other infrastructure. This should be a top priority for the U.S. to win the hearts and minds of people in the most contested areas of Pakistan. Above all, the U.S. needs to create a reputation in Pakistan as a “builder” and not a destroyer.