Kerry-Lugar bill insults Pakistan

By Tahir Niaz (Daily Times)

ISLAMABAD: Asking the government to explain how it has accepted the language of the Kerry-Lugar bill, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) legislator Marvi Memon has said it is insulting to Pakistan.

In a statement issued on Sunday, she said that asking Pakistan to "cease support – including by any elements within the military or intelligence agencies – to extremist and terrorist groups" in the text of the Kerry-Lugar bill was insulting and sent a wrong message to the world. She said it had weakened Pakistan's position on the international front. Marvi said the issue of nuclear monitoring was unacceptable to any patriotic Pakistani. The Kerry-Lugar bill mandated Pakistan to provide the US "relevant information from or direct access to Pakistani nationals associated with such networks", she said, adding that it clearly allowed the US access to Dr AQ Khan and others, which was unacceptable as state policy. She said the guarantee that terrorism emanating from India and Afghanistan, which destabilises Pakistan, should be controlled was missing in the bill, which made it (the bill) one-sided. She asked the government to explain whether the aid provided through the Kerry-Lugar legislation was only for civilian projects or whether it also included police reforms, equipment and training.