FACTBOX-Key elements of new U.S. aid to Pakistan

Oct 15 - U.S. President Barack Obama signed a law on Thursday to triple nonmilitary aid to Pakistan to about $1.5 billion a year for the next five years as part of a plan to fight extremism.

The funding, which still must be appropriated by Congress, is designed to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the nuclear-armed South Asian nation, which is fighting al Qaeda militants and a Taliban insurgency on its own soil and which is seen as vital to stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan.

Following are key elements of the law:

* The aid is intended to fund a range of projects in Pakistan, including schools and roads, agricultural development, energy generation, water resource management and the judicial system.

* The legislation in effect sets a ceiling on such U.S. aid to Pakistan. For Pakistan to actually get the money, the appropriations committees of the U.S. Congress must vote on it each year. Then it must be approved by the entire Congress and signed into law by the president.

* The Obama administration must submit a report to Congress within 45 days of the law's enactment laying out a plan for monitoring programs, as well as key objectives for aid and a general description of the programs to be funded.

* The administration must certify each year that "reasonable progress" is being made to meet the objectives of the aid.

* Under the law, the administration must submit a report twice a year to Congress listing people or entities that have received more than $100,000 for aid projects. This list can be classified for security reasons.

* Any military aid must go through a civilian government. No security-related aid can be given from 2011 to 2014 unless Pakistan is cooperating to dismantle nuclear supplier networks and combat "terrorists" and its security forces are not subverting political or judicial processes.

* The legislation has raised some criticism in Pakistan that its terms violate the country's sovereignty, accusations the Obama administration and members of Congress deny.

* While the law is intended to show support for Pakistan, many Pakistanis are cynical about the U.S. commitment to their country, having seen aid ebb and flow with wider U.S. strategic interests over the years.