Washington: A new legislation aimed at making it difficult for President George W Bush to formally designate Pakistan a Major Non-NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) Ally (MNNA) has been introduced in the US Congress.

The proposed legislation, introduced by Congressman Gary Ackerman, suggests changes in the way the US President can designate a nation a major non-NATO ally, calling for two certifications - one on democracy and the other on weapons of mass destruction - from the leader.

Introducing the legislation, Ackerman said in an appeal to fellow legislators, "I would urge our colleagues to take a look and see if they'd be willing to co-sponsor that bill."

"I'm truly astonished by Secretary (Colin) Powell's announcement two weeks ago that the President would designate Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally," he said while explaining why he introduced the legislation.

"What is truly amazing is that, in addition to giving Pakistan a pass on democratic development, the administration is also giving them a pass on proliferating nuclear technology," said Ackerman, former co-Chairman of the India Caucus in the US Congress.

Ackerman said that Pakistan has "sold nuclear technology and probably nuclear weapons designs to terrorist States, even those in the evil axis" and that's why it should not be given the status of a major non-NATO ally.

The proposed changes suggested by Ackerman would require two certifications from the US President before making that designation. The first certification deals with democracy and requires the President to certify that the designee is a democracy.

The second certification deals with weapons of mass destruction. This would require a categorical declaration from the US President that the country seeking a major non-NATO ally status works with the US Government to prevent the export of chemical, biological, nuclear and other weapons, delivery systems and related dual-use components.

In the present circumstances, both the restrictions are Pakistan-specific. Many US lawmakers, particularly those in the Opposition Democratic Party, do not recognise the present political set up in Pakistan as democratic and would dispute the certification even if the US President were to declare Pakistan a democracy.

A certification from a US President, said analysts, could be interpreted as an official recognition of Pakistan's nuclear programme and thus legitimise what the movers of the proposed legislation are fighting against especially in the context of proliferation by the "father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb," AQ Khan's nuclear proliferation in North Korea, Libya and Iran.

Although largely symbolic, diplomatic observers in Washington say that the designation can allow the US President to ignore certain laws that oblige him to impose nuclear-related sanctions on Pakistan, particularly those under the Symington and Glenn amendments.