Arizona Congressman introduces bill to terminate Pakistan status of major non-NATO ally

- ADVERTISEMENT -

On the first day of the 117th Congress, a Republican Congressman introduced a bill in the United States House of Representatives to terminate the designation of Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally.
Congressman Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, introduced the bill to remove the designation of Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally, a status that allows for various benefits such as access to excess US defense supplies and participation in cooperative defense research and development projects.

“On the first day of the 117th Congress, my staff and I have hit the ground running, working hard for the great people of #AZ05. Today, I reintroduced 28 bills that keep the promises I’ve made to my constituents and help to reduce the size and scope of the federal government.,” Biggs wrote in a tweet on Jan. 4, 2021.

According to the bill, the US President cannot issue a separate designation of Pakistan as a major NATO ally unless a presidential certification that 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 bill noted that Pakistan has taken steps to demonstrate its commitment to preventing the Haqqani network from using any Pakistani territory as a safe haven and that the Pakistan government actively coordinates with the Afghanistan government to restrict the movement of militants, such as the Haqqani network, along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

The bill asks the president to certify that Pakistan has shown progress in arresting and prosecuting Haqqani Network senior leaders and mid-level operatives.