Online petitions lobbying to designate Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism are gaining traction in Washington and the United Kingdom, PTI reported on Sunday. A petition in the United States has already roped in half a million signatories, five times the minimum quota required to be considered by the United States government.

Initiated on September 21 by a person identified as RG, the petition called "We the People ask the Administration to declare Pakistan, a State Sponsor of Terrorism" secured record support within two weeks. It was launched on a platform called “We the People”, started by US President Barack Obama. The administration has 60 days to respond to the petition, which will stop receiving signatures on October 21.

The petition followed Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Congressman Ted Poe's introduction of the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act in the House of Representatives.

In the United Kingdom, a petition titled "UK Govt to strongly condemn Pakistan for providing safe haven for terrorists" has crossed the required threshold of 10,000 signatories, compelling the government to consider it.

Naman Paropkari, a person of Indian origin, started the petition that maintains Pakistan has "aided and abetted enemies of the international coalition (of which Britain is a leading partner with the US) against terrorism."

Bilateral ties between India and Pakistan have deteriorated after the attack on an Indian Army installation in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri and lndia launching "surgical strikes". India has accused Islamabad of being involved in the attack, while Pakistan has dismissed the allegations as baseless.