US Congressman reintroduces Bill to end Pakistan’s Non-NATO ally status

Washington: An influential Republican Congressman has reintroduced legislation in the US House of Representatives to terminate the designation of Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally.

Reintroduced by Congressman Andy Biggs, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, the legislation says the president should not issue a certification in this regard unless Pakistan continues to conduct military operations that are contributing to significantly disrupting the safe haven and freedom of movement of the Haqqani Network in Pakistan.

The certification also needs to say that Pakistan has taken steps to demonstrate its commitment to preventing the Haqqani Network from using Pakistan as a safe haven and that Islamabad actively coordinates with the Afghan government to restrict the movement of militants such as the Haqqani Network, along the Afghan-Pak border.

The bill was first introduced in the US House of Representatives by Biggs in January 2019 and then in every Congress since then. It has failed to make any legislative progress in all the previous attempts.