“Radical Reset”: Bill To Declare Pakistan State Sponsor Of Terrorism Introduced In US Congress

While the bill to declare countries (specifically Pakistan) ‘a state sponsor of terror’ was withdrawn today (10 March) from the Rajya Sabha, two lawmakers in the United States of America (US) have introduced a similar bill seeking a “radical reset” of relations with Pakistan.

Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Ted Poe, introduced the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Act (HR 1449) in the US House of Representatives yesterday (9 March), saying that "not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad has also aided and abetted enemies of the United States for years."

Poe, along with former US deputy assistant secretary of defence for Asia, said:

US President Donald Trump is required to submit a report within 90 days confirming or refuting the proposition stated in the bill, after which the Secretary of State will have to submit a follow-up report along the same lines.

In India, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Rajeev Chandrasekhar had introduced a Private Members’ Bill that asked the ‘Parliament to declare Pakistan a terrorist state’ in November last year. But it was withdrawn today (10 March) after a debate and, later, consensus from the members of the upper house.

Despite BJP MP Subramaniam Swamy’s argument, which also cited US’ introduction of the bill, the 543-member house – reported to have had hardly 30 members in attendance at the time of the bill’s appeal – saw only two to three members nodding in favour. However, Chandrasekhar said the withdrawal of the bill was not disappointing as it has started a debate.