Bill To Designate Pakistan A Terrorist State Introduced In US Congress

Two American lawmakers introduced legislation in the US Congress on Tuesday aimed at designating Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism.

The move follows a terrorist attack near the town of Uri, located in Jammu and Kashmir, which India accused Pakistan of sponsoring.

The bill, HR 6069 or the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act, requires the US administration to make a formal call on the matter within three months of its passage.

Sputnik news reports:

Two US congressmen, Ted Poe (R-TX) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), have introduced the “Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act (HR 6069),” according to Poe’s website.

“It is time we stopped paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism,” Poe said.

If the bill passes, the Obama Administration will have 90 days to issue a formal report, saying whether Pakistan provided support to the terrorists or not.

“Thirty days after that, the secretary of state [John Kerry] must issue a follow-up report containing either a determination that Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification to why Pakistan does not meet the legal criteria for designation,” he said.

Ted Poe is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade.Dana Rohrabacher is chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats.

“Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad has also aided and abetted enemies of the US for years,” Poe said. “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.”