ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Britain is to double assistance to Pakistan to 480 million pounds by 2011, making it the second biggest recipient of British aid, with greater emphasis on the militancy-plagued border with Afghanistan.
The aid increase was announced by Secretary of State forInternational Development Douglas Alexander during a meetingwith Pakistan's Finance Minister Syed Naveed Qamar inIslamabad, Qamar's ministry said in a statement.
"UK assistance will continue to focus on health ... and ongood governance and earthquake affected areas' reconstruction,"the ministry said, referring to reconstruction of a northernregion devastated by an earthquake in October 2005.
"There will now be an additional emphasis on assistance tothe border areas as well as on education, with more than 250million pounds being made available to bring 5 million childreninto school," the ministry said.
Taliban militants battling foreign troops in Afghanistanhave sanctuaries in lawless regions along the Pakistani border,where militants also plot violence in Western countries.
Alexander said Britain, the former colonial power, had formany years been committed to helping Pakistan fight poverty andaimed to continue to help ensure people had access to betterhealthcare, schools and job opportunities, the ministry said.
Britain would also provide 50 million pounds to Pakistan'sState Bank to open financial services to poor people, it said.
(Reporting by Kamran Haider; Editing by Robert Birsel)
(One British pound = US$1.99 and 138.2 Pakistani rupees)
