Islamabad, august 9 Indirectly blaming the Indian lobby in the US Congress for piloting a new Bill calling for stringent monitoring of its adherence to non-proliferation, Pakistan today said it hoped the legislation is not made as abrasive as it looks.
The Bill calls for annual certification by the US President about Pakistans adherence to non-proliferation and vests him with powers to cut down US aid in case of any violations. ‘‘We have seen this legislation, which has been introduced. We will continue to monitor the situation and would like to work with the Congress,’’ Pakistans Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said.
Without directly naming the Indian lobby in the Congress, he said, ‘‘The sponsors belong to a certain lobby.’’
A top Al Qaeda suspect, captured in Dubai over his alleged role in attempts to kill President Pervez Musharraf, was questioned today in Pakistan. ‘‘He is under questioning by investigators,’’ Information Minister Sheikh Rashid said. ‘‘He is required in many terrorist cases for interrogation.’’
Qari Saifullah Akhtar, whose arrest last week was the latest in a string of high-level Al Qaeda arrests, was handed over to Pakistan on Saturday. He is reported to have trained Al Qaeda militants in Afghanistan before the Taliban ouster in 2001 and is wanted for two assassination attempts on Musharraf, officials said.
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