WASHINGTON: Two US lawmakers, known on Capitol Hill for their obsessive dislike for Pakistan, have moved a bill in Congress seeking to designate Pakistan a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’.

The bill, titled the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act, was introduced on Tuesday afternoon.

The mover, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism Ted Poe, and co-sponsor, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, want the United States to sever its ties with Pakistan. They also actively campaigned for blocking all US military sales to Pakistan. The move succeeded when the US Senate refused to subsidise an F-16 deal for Pakistan, thus preventing Islamabad from buying the planes. The Senate also blocked $300 million of military assistance to Pakistan.

“Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islam­abad has also aided and abetted enemies of the United States for years,” alleges Congressman Poe while introducing the bill.

“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.”

The bill requires the Obama administration to formally convince Congress why the United States should continue to consider Pakistan an ally in the war against terrorism.

The president must issue a report within 90 days of the passage of the bill, detailing whether or not Pakistan has provided support for international terrorism.

Thirty days after that, the US Secretary of State must issue a follow-up report containing either a determination that Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification as to why Pakistan does not meet the legal criteria for designation.

Usually, legislations introduced by these two lawmakers do not get enough votes and are defeated and this move may also face the same fate.

The two also want the United States to support the move for Balochistan’s separation and recognise it as an independent state.

The State Department, however, rejected the suggestion and assured Islamabad last week that the United States continues to support Pakistan’s territorial integrity and does not back the move for Balochistan’s independence.

“It is time we stop paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism,” said Mr Poe while explaining his new move.

Published in Dawn September 22nd, 2016