Washington, Apr. 3 : The United States has announced a three fold increase in civilian aid to Pakistan, and is also planning to spend another three billion dollars over the next five years to equip and train the Pakistan Army against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, but the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen has made it clear that there is an urgent need to maintain a check on the aid to ensure its proper and correct use.

"There hasn't been an audit trail, and there hasn't been accountability measures put in place, and there needs to be for all the funds," Admiral Mullen told The New York Times.

Admiral Mullen said that it was very important that this counterinsurgency aid be spent for what it is being sent for, and certainly not for any other activity.

"It is critical that it goes for exactly that and nowhere else," Admiral Mullen stressed.

Commenting on the recent surge in Talibani activities on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghnistan border, Admiral Mullen said the outfit is planning to establish its grip over a larger part of the region.

"They are coming toward Islamabad and they are actually going toward Kabul. I'm completely convinced that the vast majority of the leaders in Pakistan understand the seriousness of the threat," he added.

Commenting on the increased threat perception for Pakistan from the western border rather than its eastern border in Pakistan, and the need for Islamabad to understand the importance of securing its porous border along Afghanistan, Admiral Mullen said the Pak Army has certain difficulties as it was trained only for acting against India along the eastern front.

"That's not going to change overnight," he added. (ANI)