War of Petitions: White House Closes Petition to Declare Pakistan Terrorist State

WASHINGTON: India and Pakistan have taken their war not just to the United Nations, but to the White House by filing petitions through individuals seeking to declare each other as a terrorist state. In what really belongs to the theatre of the absurd, every little comma is up for scrutiny by the media on both sides, with ‘victory’ or ‘defeat’ being read in between every single word.

The White House Has a system of petitions under its “We The People” where certain qualifications if met, allows US citizens to file petitions and collect signatures. If these cross 100,000 the petitioner can be assured of a response by the White House.

In what is now being seen as a setback in this game of diplomatic war, the White House has closed a petition filed by one ‘RG’ and others seeking to declare Pakistan a terrorist state. At least 625,723 persons had signed this petition, almost seven times more than the number required. However, the White House has closed this petition as it finds many of the signatures to be fraudulent, to the dismay of sections of the Indian diaspora that had been confident of getting some response from the White House to this.

Ironically, a petition introduced by Pakistani-Americans last week to declare India a terrorist state for allegedly supporting militants in Balohistan, Fata and Karachi is still live. Introduced on September 27 this petition states, according to the White House We the People section: “India is involved in spreading terrorism and in bloody proxy wars against it's adjoining countries particularly Islamic Republic of Pakistan, especially in the province of Balochistan, Federally Administrated Tribal Areas and Metropolitan City of Karachi. While India may remain in denial it's proxy war in Pakistan have gone out of hands. The clear evidence is available in the form of Kalboshan Yadev. Yadev in an Indian Spy working for Indian Agency 'Research and Analysis Wing' for the purpose of espionage and sabotage in Pakistan. Not only this, he is the SERVING COMMANDER OF INDIAN NAVY. He has confessed to be engaged in various terrorism activies in Balochistan including aiding TTP, Al-Qaeda and ISIS. These all evidence call for declaring India a terroist state and isolating it globally. Of the required 100,000 this petition has got 86,911 signatures.

However, a separate legislation, moved in the US House of Representatives on Sept 20, also seeks to designate Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorist. The movers, Congressmen Ted Poe and Dana Rohrabacher, introduced H.R.6069, the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act. It makes it clear that this petition is important to the people of United State of America, India and many other countries which are continuously affected by Pakistan sponsored terrorism. The US India Political Action Committee has launched a nationwide effort to canvass Indian Americans to get their local legislators' support to H R 6069.

Congressman Poe, while introducing the Bill said, “It is time we stop paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is, a state sponsor of terrorism.Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad has also aided and abetted enemies of the United States for years. From harboring Osama bin Laden to its cozy relationship with the Haqqani network, there is more than enough evidence to determine whose side Pakistan is on in the War on Terror. And its not Americas.”

Poe said that if the Bill is passed the US president will have to issue a report within 90 days detailing whether Pakistan has provided support for international terrorism or not. And 30 days after that the US Secretary of State will have to issue “a follow up report containing either a determination that Pakistan is state sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification as to why Pakistan does not meet the legal criteria for designation.”

Interestingly, the White House We the Peoples section currently has a host of peoples petitions that are gathering signatures. One that has crossed the benchmark with 106,328 signaures was created by “G.P.” on July 10 stating that August 14 is “not Independence Day for Sikhs Support the liberation of Indian Occupied Punjab to Create Khalistan.” Listing its own version of recent political history, the petition asks “America to support the Independence of Indian Occupied Punjab.” There does not seem to have been any White House response to this as yet.