In a humiliating setback to Islamabad ahead of PM Nawaz Sharif’s speech before the UN General Assembly, two American lawmakers have introduced legislation in the US Congress to designate Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The bill was moved by Congressman Ted Poe, a Republican member of the House of Representatives from Texas, jointly with Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from California who heads the House’s sub-committee on Europe, Eurasia and emerging threats.
If enacted, the Bill will require the President to give a report to Congress within 90 days on whether Pakistan had supported international terrorism, or not. Within 30 days thereafter, the secretary of state will either determine Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism, or say why not.
This is not the first time that there is talk of formally designating Pakistan a terrorist state. Such a measure was earlier discussed in 1993 after Pakistan engineered the Mumbai serial blasts. But, Islamabad escaped punishment by pretending to be an ally in the war on terror.
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