WASHINGTON – A US Congressman on Thursday introduced a categoric anti-Pakistan bill in Congress to declare Pakistan a “state sponsor of terrorism” for being an untrustworthy ally.
According to media reports, Ted Poe, who is the Chair of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism said that Pakistan aided and abetted enemies of the United States for years.
‘From harbouring Osama bin Laden to its cosy 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’ he said.
‘It is time we stop paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a State Sponsor of Terrorism,’ Poe added while introducing the bill, the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Act of 2015, in Congress on Thursday.
After the presentation of Poe’s bill, Donald Trump is to issue a report within next 90 days answering whether Pakistan has provided support for international terrorism or not.
The report by Trump would be followed by another report which would justify or nullify the proposed designation ‘Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism’.
The bill is not first in its kind as the same bill was introduced under Obama administration last year however, due to paucity of time the Congress was convinced to consider Pakistan an ally of US in its fight against terrorism.
Coincidently, the bill was introduced at a time when the commander of US Central Command (Centcom) Gen Joseph Votel expressed that Pakistan did help US in its fight against militancy.
Votel in a vehement tone mentioned Haqqani network and lauded Pakistan’s efforts to kerb terrorism as he was speaking before members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
‘That’s a very positive sign and a move in [the] right direction. And they have done things against the principal concerns we have; the Haqqani network and Taliban’ Gen Votel said on Thursday.
