ISLAMABAD – Analysts say that Washington’s freeze on military assistance toPakistan will have limited impact on the country’s economy, citingIslamabad’s friendship with China and diminishing importance of the US aidto the economy.

Sources told AFP that the negative effects of US freeze of militaryassistance would be “marginal” in the short to medium term.

They said with US aid declining significantly in recent years, Pakistan’seconomy is improving due to its closeness with China.

AFP Quoted an Islamabad based diplomat as saying that “International aid isnot big in comparison with size of the country’s economy.” He said the”means of pressure are limited.”

Former finance minister Hafeez Pasha said the US aid has been decliningvery sharply for the last seven years, with last year around 750 milliondollars. He said this figure, when compared with the economy, is not a lot.

A senior World Bank economist Muhammad Waheed said Pakistan’s economy iscurrently stable and growing.

He described rising of 2.5 billion dollars in international bonds byPakistan as “successful”.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, said if the US starts to bully, blame orthreaten, Islamabad has other options.

He said suspending aid is “a failed formula”.