WASHINGTON: Pakistan's attempt to push international pressure on India regarding the impending Kashmir issue failed miserably as a range of lawmakers, analysts, and diplomats called it a terrorist entity and should be denied foreign aid. They also said that its leaders deserved to be sanctioned and stopped from travelling to the United States for consistently cheating the world community on terrorism.
Lawmakers and experts testified before a congressional panel, calling for designating Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism and for cutting off all aid to Islamabad. Analyst Bill Roggio of Long War Journal went far enough to recommend cutting off educational aid, because money is "fungible" and was what was given as education or humanitarian aid freed other moneys for Pakistan's general fattened on US aid.
One of the harshest indictment on the country in congressional hearing history as lawmakers holding the hearing and those testifying before it, splashed dirt on the country. "They are making chumps out of us. They see us being so stupid. It seems like paying the mafia," said congressman Matt Salmon, who held the hearing. Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad said, "If I may use an undiplomatic term, we have been patsies. Chumps... patsies... idiots." He explained how Pak manipulated America by reaching out to US officials and lawmakers with a charm offensive each time it had its back to the wall. He reminded the panel of how Musharraf had maintained terrorism was fine as long as it was directed against India.
India's permanent representative at the UN, Syed Akbaruddin rained on the neighbouring country, calling it "a country that covets the territory of others, a country that uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end, a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists." He added that, "Pakistan is the same country whose track record has failed to convince the international community to gain membership of the UN human rights council in this very session of the UNGA." Akbaruddin said the "international community has long seen through such designs" and such "cynical attempts finds no resonance in this forum or elsewhere in the United Nations." He also asserted that "as a diverse, pluralistic and tolerant society, India's commitment to the rule of law, democracy and human rights is enshrined in its founding principles."
Indian retaliation came as UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed threatened to escalate violence in Kashmir. He is also said to have met with Syed Salahuddin, Kashmiri separatist leader who provokes aggression in the state from PoK.
