U.S. Congress Resolution
Supports India's Position on Kashmir
Some Pro-India U.S. Congressmen
Planning to Declare Pakistan a Terrorist State
By Syed Adeeb
WASHINGTON, DC, USA, January 14, 2000 (Pakistan
Today): When some Pakistani and American lobbyists, who are highly paid
by the Government of Pakistan, were relaxing, making false claims about their
lobbying performance in Washington and enjoying their luxurious vacations fully
paid by the Pakistani taxpayers, U.S. Congressman Rod R. Blagojevich (D-IL)
sponsored and introduced a pro-India and anti-Kashmir freedom Resolution No.. 212
in the U.S. House of Representatives, which completely supports India's policy
toward the disputed State of Jammu & Kashmir, seeks to maintain the status
quo in Kashmir and does not offer any reasonable or viable solution to the
current Kashmir conflict that has killed over 70,000 Kashmiris and Pakistanis as
well as many Indians since 1988.
The House Resolution 212, titled "Expressing hope for a
peaceful resolution to the situation in Kashmir," which has been referred to the
House Committee on International Relations, contains the following 5
points:
(1) The current crisis over Kashmir between India and Pakistan
poses a clear threat to international peace and security.
(2) The nuclear
weapons capability of both India and Pakistan makes it essential that this
Kashmir crisis be resolved quickly in a peaceful fashion.
(3) India and
Pakistan had recently made great strides in promoting dialogue and improved
relations.
(4) Significant questions remain about how the "insurgents"
(Kashmiri freedom fighters) are being trained and supplied.
(5) The 1972
Simla Agreement between India and Pakistan provides the outline for the
resolution of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
As a declaration of U.S. policy on Kashmir, U.S. Congressman
Blagojevich's Resolution (1) reaffirms the right of India and Pakistan to
provide for their own domestic security; (2) reaffirms that the Line of Control
must not be changed through the use of force; and (3) commends the restraint
shown by Indian Security Forces in dealing with the armed insurgency in
Indian-ruled Kashmir.
The Blagojevich Resolution states that it is the sense of the
U.S. House of Representatives that (1) all intruding forces from across the Line
of Control should withdraw from the Indian side; and (2) the letter and spirit
of the Lahore Declaration should be respected by all parties, namely that (A)
both governments of India and Pakistan shall refrain from intervention and
interference in each other's internal affairs; and (B) both Indo-Pak governments
reaffirm their condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and
their determination to combat this menace.
The House Resolution 212 has been co-sponsored by 7 U.S..
Congress Members
Rep. Thomas M. Barrett (D-WI), Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY),
Rep. Gerald D. Kleczka (D-WI), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), Rep. Bobby L. Rush
(D-IL), Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY). So
far, no Republican Member of the House has co-sponsored the congressional
resolution.
This is another resolution among a series of pro-India,
anti-Kashmir freedom and anti-Pakistan resolutions which have been introduced in
the 106th Congress. At this time, after the recent hijacking of Indian Airlines
flight IC-814, which has caused a major war of words, allegations and
counter-allegations between Pakistan and India, a few pro-India and
anti-Pakistan U.S. Congressmen, including Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Rep.
Gary L. Ackerman (D-NY), Rep. Benjamin A. Gilman (R-NY), Rep. Sam Gejdenson
(D-CT) and Rep. Bill McCollum (R-FL), are planning to sponsor and introduce a
congressional resolution or a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives to urge
the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of State to declare Pakistan a
terrorist state.
However, so far, not even one pro-Pakistan or pro-Kashmir
freedom resolution or bill has been introduced in the U.S. House or the U.S..
Senate and the U.S. Government officials have made harsh and critical statements
against Pakistan and Kashmiri freedom fighters recently and during the past many
years. That is why patriotic and concerned Pakistani-Americans are now strongly
demanding that Pakistan's Chief Executive and Army chief General Pervez
Musharraf must reconsider and reform Pakistan's current policy toward the United
States and immediately fire all Pakistani and American highly paid lobbyists of
the Pakistan Government, who have miserably failed to influence and convince the
U.S. Congress Members and the Clinton Administration officials to help Pakistan
and the Kashmiri people. Many members of the Pakistani-American community have
also pointed out that Pakistan Government's over-paid lobbyists and Pakistani
diplomats based in the United States have intentionally and negligently failed
to counter the anti-Pakistan and anti-Kashmir freedom propaganda; failed to
resolve the outstanding conflicts between the U.S. and Pakistan governments;
failed to increase exports of Pakistani products to America; and failed to
improve U.S.-Pakistan relations, because there is no effective accountability
system to hold the Pakistani diplomats and lobbyists accountable for their
careless negligence, misconduct and misdeeds.
