A proposed US funding bill for the fiscal year 2026 includes a provision to withhold a portion of American assistance to Pakistan until Islamabad releases Dr Shakil Afridi, the physician who helped US intelligence locate al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, according to the text of legislation introduced in the US House of Representatives.

The bill specifies that of the funds allocated for Pakistan, $33 million “shall be withheld from obligation” unless and until the US Secretary of State certifies to Congress that Dr Afridi “has been released from prison and cleared of all charges relating to the assistance provided to the United States in locating Osama bin Laden.”

This provision appears under a broader section titled “South and Central Asia,” which groups Pakistan with Afghanistan and other countries in a region subject to heightened congressional oversight due to ongoing security, counterterrorism, and human rights concerns.

The legislation, formally titled the Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026, was introduced on January 12 by Representative Tom Cole. It has been referred to the House Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on the Budget as part of a larger consolidated package to fund US government operations through September 30, 2026.

In addition to the Pakistan-related provision, the bill includes a categorical ban on US assistance to the Taliban. It states that “none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act and prior Acts” may be used to provide assistance to the Taliban in Afghanistan, reinforcing long-standing congressional restrictions following the group’s return to power.

The bill also connects South Asia-related funding to broader human rights enforcement mechanisms. It directs the US government to impose visa restrictions on Chinese officials when the Secretary of State has “credible information” that those officials were involved in “a gross violation of human rights against the people of Tibet.” While not directly linked to Pakistan, the measure underscores the bill’s emphasis on conditionality tied to human rights and accountability.

The proposed legislation governs funding for national security, diplomatic operations, and foreign assistance programs administered by the Department of State and related agencies. Specific regional allocations, restrictions, and conditions are distributed across multiple titles, with additional details outlined in accompanying explanatory statements.

For South and Central Asia, the bill reflects Congress’s continued practice of attaching political, legal, and security-related conditions to US foreign assistance. Among these, the Pakistan provision stands out for its specificity, directly tying the release of funds to a formal certification by the Secretary of State regarding Dr Afridi’s status.

Dr Shakil Afridi was detained by Pakistani authorities after assisting US intelligence in confirming the presence of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad prior to the 2011 US military operation that killed the al-Qaeda leader. His imprisonment has remained a contentious issue in US–Pakistan relations for more than a decade, frequently cited by American lawmakers as a point of friction.

US Congress has repeatedly used appropriations legislation to restrict or condition aid to Pakistan, often citing concerns over counterterrorism cooperation, accountability, and unresolved bilateral disputes. While Washington continues to engage Pakistan on regional security and stability, the proposed FY2026 funding bill signals that congressional scrutiny of US assistance to Islamabad remains firmly in place.