In a fresh headache for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan may lose its major non-Nato ally status after a bill was moved in the US House of Representatives to terminate the designation.
The bill (HR 80) was introduced by Congressman Andy Biggs, who represents the fifth Congressional district of Arizona, reported PTI.
The bill has been sent to the House Foreign Affairs Committee for necessary actions. It needs to be passed by the House and the Senate before it can be signed into law by the US President.
As a major non-Nato ally, Pakistan enjoys several perks, such as access to excess US defence supplies and eligibility for loans of materials, supplies or equipment for cooperative research, development, testing, or evaluation purposes, news agency ANI reported.
Should this bill fructify, it would not only be a major embarrassment for Pakistan, but it would also lose key privileges at a time when its economy is in the doldrums.
For any further continuation of Pakistan’s designation as a major non-Nato ally, the bill asks the US president to issue a certification that the country has shown progress in arresting and prosecuting Haqqani Network senior leaders and mid-level operatives and has taken steps to demonstrate its commitment to prevent the Haqqani Network from using any Pakistani territory as a safe haven.