WASHINGTON, March 5: This summer the extremists may launch a new wave of violent attacks in Fata and other areas of Pakistan, warned Congressman Chris Van Hollen while advocating a combination of economic and military measures to combat terrorism.

“The time to help Pakistan is now,” said Mr Van Hollen, who on Wednesday co-sponsored a bill to create preferential trade zones in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Karachi-born lawmaker is now an assistant to the speaker of the US House of Representatives, which places him in a unique position to press for an early passage of the ROZ bill.

The bill to establish the so-called Reconstruction Opportunity Zones enjoys unprecedented bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. It is also backed by the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon.

The co-sponsors in the House include Peter Hoekstra, Mark Steven Kirk, Sandy Levin, Dan Burton, Adam Smith, Joseph Crowley, Jim Moran, Gary Ackerman, Peter Welch and Sheila Jackson Lee. In the Senate, Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell sponsored the act, which has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee. The co-sponsors include Robert Casey and Orrin Hatch.

To underscore the widespread support the bill enjoys, key Democratic and Republican lawmakers arranged a briefing on the Hill on Wednesday, which was also addressed by White House adviser Paul Jones and the Afghan and Pakistani envoys.

“We truly share the goal of this legislation to fuel sustainable economic development and provide legitimate employment opportunities for the peoples of Afghanistan and Pakistan,” said Mr Jones.

“Achieving that would send a strong message of our long-term commitment to the peace, security and prosperity of the region,” said Mr Jones, who serves as deputy to Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The endorsement is the first of several steps the Obama administration plans to take to increase stability in the Pak-Afghan region, which in recent months has seen an upsurge in violence.

President Barack Obama is expected to back legislation by Senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar that seeks to more than triple US economic assistance to Pakistan.
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