American lawmakers initiated a bill in the House of Representatives on Thursday urging President Obama to declare Haqqani network a terrorist organization. The designation will make provision of any support to the organization unlawful. The bill was introduced by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers; Buck McKeon, Chairman of House Armed Services Committee and Chairman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
The bill can be seen as a pressure tactic on Pakistan to open the NATO Afghan supply lines that were suspended in the aftermath of the November Salala incident. The bill, if successful, will gravely complicate the Afghan peace process.