Today Jun 14, 2013 Congressman Dana Rohrabacher’s
(R-CA) amendment tying the Defense Department’s ability to give monetary aid to
Pakistan’s military to its treatment of ethnic and religious minority groups was
included in final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014 by
the House of Representatives.
The amendment requires the Secretary of Defense
to certify that Pakistan is not using its military to “persecute minority groups
for their legitimate and nonviolent political and religious beliefs.” The
amendment specifically names the Balochi, Sindhi and Christian minorities, among
others.
“This is a giant step forward for those
victims of oppression in Pakistan,” said Rohrabacher. “For the first time their
plight is being recognized and a policy is being established of not giving the
Pakistani government the weapons to carry on their repression. This is the first
time the plight of the Balochi and the Sindhi have been underscored in
legislation that links support for Pakistan’s military to how they treat those
minority groups.”
Pakistan’s military and security services have
long carried out vicious attacks against minorities aimed at depriving them of
their right to participate in the political process and their right of self
determination. The United States has given over $25 billion dollars of aid to
Pakistan since 2001 and this year’s National Defense Authorization Act
authorized up to an additional $1.5 billion dollars.
The Rohrabacher amendment was offered with the
bipartisan co-sponsorship of Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA).
Rep. Rohrabacher is Chairman of the House
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats
Read more at http://baluch.us/?p=1325#48AKbjQa7J8OlErH.99
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