WASHINGTON, Jan 16: The US House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution on Wednesday which strongly condemns the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, but stops short of taking a hard line in the first formal congressional response towards the Musharraf government since her death.
As many as 413 members voted for the resolution. No one voted against it.
The non-binding resolution was introduced by Rep. Gary Ackerman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, and co-sponsored by 16 other House members from both Republican and Democratic parties.
The mildly worded resolution does not call for an additional international or UN-led investigation into the assassination, and it does not ascribe blame to any specific group.
Instead, it welcomes Islamabad’s decision to involve the Scotland Yard in the investigation.
The resolution backs calls for the pursuit of those responsible for killing Ms Bhutto, and expresses condolences to the Bhutto family and other families affected by the Dec 27, 2007 tragedy.
It urges Pakistani leaders to be relentless in the pursuit of a democratically elected government, pressing for free and fair elections at the earliest possible opportunity.
Some Democrats wanted to impose tougher restrictions on military aid to Pakistan but others said this could restrict the ability of a future Democratic administration to act on foreign policy. They said they do not want to be seen as turning their backs on Pakistan as doing so would leave them vulnerable to charges of being weak on the war against terrorism.
Speaking on the resolution, both Republican and Democratic members of the House noted that Ms Bhutto had returned to Pakistan to bring the country back to the democratic fold and inject a voice of moderation into the Pakistani parliamentary elections.They also noted that Ms Bhutto’s life was marked by tragedy that played out on Pakistan’s public stage. Her father was hung after a questionable trial, her brother was murdered. As prime minister, she was twice removed from office by the army amid allegations of corruption and wound up in self-imposed exile.
The speakers said that the United States and the rest of the international community had a vital interest in supporting a free, stable and secure Pakistan.
They emphasised the need to support the movement toward stable political institutions, democratic values and the rule of law in Pakistan.
The noted that Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other extremist elements were using the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to regroup, retrain and recruit for future attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The speakers described this as a dangerous component of instability that when added to Pakistan’s possession of nuclear weapons conjures up the frightening possibility of terrorists with access to weapons of mass destruction.
All of this means that the United States and the rest of the international community need to do all they can to promote and support Pakistan’s economic, social, and political development to prevent Pakistan from becoming a failed state, they said.