Bill for revoking Pakistan’s status as non-Nato ally introduced in US Congress

WASHINGTON: Two top US lawmakers have introduced a bill seeking to revoke Pakistan's status as a non-Nato ally, alleging that the country has failed to fight terrorism.

The bipartisan bill was presented by Congressmen Ted Poe, Republican and Democrat Rick Nolan, Democrat in the House of Representatives. The bill titled, 'To terminate the designation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as a major non-Nato ally, and for other purposes,' is also cosponsored by four other congressmen. 

"From harboring Osama bin laden to backing the Taliban, Pakistan has stubbornly refused to go after, in any meaningful way, terrorists that actively seek to harm opposing ideologies. We must make a clean break with Pakistan, but at the very least, we should stop providing them the eligibility to obtain our own sophisticated weaponry" stated Congressman Ted Poe, who is member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and chairman of the subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-proliferation and Trade. He also suggested that the country must be held accountable for the American blood on its hands.

The ally status was granted to Pakistan in 2004 after the US wanted its help to crackdown terrorist networks. Any country holding such status is eligible for priority delivery of defence material, a US loans guarantee programme, and speedy arms sales process. 

Congressman Nolan remarked that Pakistan has taken advantage of America's goodwill and demonstrated that they are no friend and ally. "The fact is, the billions of dollars we have sent to Pakistan over the last fifteen years has done nothing to effectively fight terrorism and make us safer. It is time to wake up to the fact that Pakistan has ties to the same terrorist organisations which they claim to be fighting," he said. 

Earlier, the Defence Department also presented a report to the Congress claiming that militant elements benefit from support elements of the Pakistani government. "Although Pakistani military operations have disrupted some militant sanctuaries, certain extremist groups such as the Taliban and Haqqani network were able to relocate and continue to operate in and from Pakistan.