In A Historic Move, Bill Seeking To Term Pakistan A 'Terrorist State' Introduced In US Congress

In a major embarrassment to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ahead of his much hyped address to the UN General Assembly, where he is expected to rake up the Kashmir issue, two american lawmakers have introduced a bill in the US Congress to designate the country as a state sponsor of terrorism.

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The bill was moved by Congressman Ted Poe from Texas, who is the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of California, who is a strong votary of the Baloch cause.

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After the bill H.R 6069 or the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act, was introduced, the US President will issue a report within 90 days, detailing whether or not Pakistan has provided support for international terrorism.

The move comes even as US still considers Pakistan a close ally in its fight against terrorism, especially in Afghanistan. Even though the two call themselves allies, Washington has time and again questioned Islamabad's sincerity in the fight. A number of high-profile incidents including the Kunduz Airlift, during the US invasion of Afghanistan where Pakistan airlifted top Taliban and Al-Qaida commanders to save them from US, when Islamabad was a supposed partner of NATO to fight them. However the biggest double game of ?Islamabad was exposed when Al-Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, that to in close proximity of the Pakistan Army headquarters.?

AFP

Subsequently a number high profile Al-Qaida and Taliban leaders including Mullah Omar and Haqqani Network second in command, Sirajuddin Haqqani were killed inside Pakistan.

Even while Pakistan in 2014 launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb against terrorists, US accused the country of selectively targeting terrorists from the Pakistani Taliban, while the Haqqanis who also operated in from the same area was not touched.

AFP

The US had earlier with-held the distribution of the coalition support fund for Pakistan claiming that the county was not taking decisive action against the Haqqanis.

''Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad has also aided and abetted enemies of the United States for years. From harbouring Osama bin Laden to its cozy relationship with the Haqqani network , there is more than enough evidence to determine whose side Pakistan is on in the War on Terror. And it's not America's,'' Ted Poe said.

Even though the bill has been introduced, it is highly unlikely to be passed in by the current Congress as it is now in its final days. It however shows a paradigm shift in the US policy and acknowledging something that India and Afghanistan has been saying for years.

If passed Pakistan will join the likes of Iran, Sudan and Syria as countries who have been listed as state sponsors of terrorism.