A US congressman has demanded that Pakistan be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism
Key Takeaways:
- In the House of Representatives, a senior US congressman has introduced legislation calling for Pakistan to be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.
- Pakistan continues to harbour terrorist organizations designated by the United Nations, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
A senior US Congressman has introduced legislation in the House of Representatives calling for Pakistan to be specified as a state sponsor of terrorism, just days after the Financial Action Task Force kept Islamabad on the grey list for insufficient actions in investigating and prosecuting terrorists.
Congressman Scott Perry serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Perry, a retired brigadier general who did fly 200 combat sorties in a Chinook helicopter throughout his deployment in Iraq, states, "Effective on the date that is 30 days after the enactment of this Act, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan shall be considered to be a country whose govt the Secretary of State determines has repetitively provided assistance for international terrorism."
Perry referred US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who accused Pakistan of harboring Taliban members, including terrorists from the Haqqani network.
"What we have to look at is an insistence that every nation, including Pakistan, live up to the international community's anticipations of what is needed of a Taliban-led govt if it is to receive any legitimacy or support," Blinken informed the House Foreign Affairs Committee in September last year.
"As a result, Pakistan must join a broad majority of the international community in working towards such ends and upholding those expectations," Blinken added.
Perry, a member of the Asia-Pacific subcommittee, had written to President John Biden, requesting that Pakistan ambassador-designate Masood Khan not be confirmed, citing his comments praising terrorists and endorsing terrorist organizations.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) held Pakistan on its grey list on March 5 and ordered it to take strict measures to combat UN-designated terrorist groups and stop terror financing.
"The FATF encourages Pakistan to continue to demonstrate that [terror financing] investigations as well as prosecutions target senior leaders and also commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups as quickly as possible," the organization said during a statement.
Pakistan continues to harbour terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, which the United Nations have designated. Terrorist lords such as Hafiz Muhammad Sayeed as well as Masood Azhar are still free to roam.