US LAWMAKER IS CONFIDENT PAK ‘TERROR STATE’ BILL WILL PASS

Senior US lawmaker Ted Poe said he was “very hopeful” of the enactment of a legislation he had introduced, calling for the administration to make a determination if Pakistan is a state-sponsor of terrorism, or not.

This is the second time the Texas Republican who heads the powerful House subcommittee on terrorism, has moved this bill; the last one in September 2016 did not go anywhere, coming as it did in the dying days of that congress. Lawmakers were focussed on their re-election and the country was in the middle of a bitterly contested race for the White House.

He has time now. And, in a marked contrast to his previous attempt, Republicans are in control of both congress and the White House.

The bill already has the support of many lawmakers, Poe told reporters in a conference call from Texas, adding he expected to see some lawmakers sign on as co-sponsors. Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican who had jointly moved the last bill, was on board already.

Poe also said he believed this White House “would be sympathetic to the bill” as it “just requires” a determination to be made either way: yes or no. And not, he stressed again and again, that Pakistan be named one. The very process of making that determination, if the bill was enacted, would be embarrassing enough for Pakistan. And if it was indeed designated a state-sponsor of terrorism, it would be subjected to limited financial aid, ban on defense exports and restricted access to dual use items.

Poe’s bill asks the president to issue a report within 90 days of signing the bill into law “whether Pakistan has provided support for international terrorism”. And the secretary of state should issue a report after 30 days either making a “determination that Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification as to why it does not meet the legal criteria for such a designation”.