US lawmakers move bill to term Pak a terrorist state

In a huge setback for the Pakistan government, US lawmakers have introduced legislation in the US Congress to designate Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism. This comes at a time just ahead of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's speech before the UN General Assembly. The bill was moved by Congressman Ted Poe from Texas, who is the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of California, who is a strong votary of the Baloch cause. In a statement on Tuesday announcing the bill, Poe said, ''Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad has also aided and abetted enemies of the United States for years. From harboring Osama bin Laden to its cozy 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'', he also added, ''It is time we stop paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism".""Pakistan's reckless behavior in this regard is a serious security risk to its neighbors - and India unfortunately pays the price all too often. We condemn this tragic attack, as well as Pakistan's support for many criminals like the ones who carried it out, and stand firm in our commitment to our friends in India," Poe said. This is the first time in many years that there is talk of formally designating Pakistan a terrorist state. Such a measure was last discussed in 1993 after Pakistan engineered the Mumbai serial blast through Dawood Ibrahim, killing 259 people in a terrorist attack that was a precursor to many such attacks across the world, including in New York, London, and Madrid.