US MPs move bill to declare Pakistan sponsor of terrorism

WASHINGTON: Ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s address at the United Nations, two US lawmakers introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to designate Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The bill was moved by Congressman Ted Poe along with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher here on Tuesday. Both members called Pakistan an untrustworthy ally. “It is time we stopped playing Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is; a state sponsor of terrorism,” said Congressman Ted Poe, who’s also the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism.

“Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad also aided and abetted enemies of the US for years,” Poe added alleging, “From harboring Osama bin Laden to its cozy relationship with the Haqqani Network, there is more than enough evidence to determine whose side Pakistan is in the war on terror.”

The act titled, ‘Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act,’ has a bleak future to sustain itself as the presidential elections are in less than two months. The act requires the Obama administration to formally answer questions on Pakistan.

The president must issue a report within 90 days of passage detailing whether or not Pakistan has provided support for international terrorism. “Thirty days after that, the secretary of state must issue a follow-up report containing either a determination that Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification as to why Pakistan does not meet the legal criteria for designation,” Poe said in a statement.