US may again slap sanctions on Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Aug 6 (UNI): Pakistan is once again facing a great threat of sanctions if a US House Bill aimed at the "rollback of the Khan nuclear proliferation network" becomes a law.

The Bill - Nuclear Black-Market Elimination Act, HR 4965 - sponsored by Republican Tom Lantos and supported by a number of his colleagues, seeks to "impose sanctions on foreign entities that engage in certain nuclear proliferation activities," Pakistan's The Daily Times said in its report from Washington today.

Specifically aimed at Pakistan, the Bill says, "notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President may not provide, in any fiscal year, more than 75 per cent of the United States assistance to Pakistan unless the President determines and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that Pakistan, (1) has verifiably halted any cooperation with any state in the development of nuclear or missile technology, material, or equipment, or any other technology, material, or equipment that is useful for the development of weapons of mass destruction, including exports of such technology, material, or equipment; and (2) is fully sharing with the United States all information relevant to the A Q Khan proliferation network, and has provided full access to A Q Khan and his associates and any documentation, declarations, affidavits, or other material that bears upon their proliferation network activities and contacts." The President may exempt in a fiscal year any country for which an additional protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency for the application of safeguards is not in force, if he has certified to the appropriate congressional committees that (i) the waiver is in the vital interest of the national security of the United States; (ii) the waiver will promote Pakistan's cooperation in achieving the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) and (iii) Pakistan's lack of cooperation is not significantly hindering efforts of the United States to investigate and eliminate the Khan proliferation network and any successor networks.

The proposed legislation lays down that not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President will submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that identifies any country in which manufacturing, brokering, shipment, transshipment, or other significant activity occurs that is related to the transactions carried out by the various elements and entities of the A Q Khan nuclear proliferation network.