AMN / WEB DESK

In a big diplomatic victory for India, the United Nations today designated Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a “global terrorist” after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist him.

In a tweet, India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UN, Syed Akbaruddin said, big and small nations all join together for this and India is grateful to all for their support. A “global terrorist” designation will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo.

 

In 2009, India moved a proposal by itself to designate Azhar. In 2016 again India moved the proposal with the P3 – the United States, the United Kingdom and France in the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January, 2016.

In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, blocked India’s proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee.

What does the UN decision mean?

It will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo.

An assets freeze under the Sanctions Committee.

The Sanctions Committee needs that each one states freeze at once the funds and alternative money assets or economic resources of selected people and entities.

The travel ban entails preventing the entry into or transit by all states through their territories by selected people.

Also, all states square measure needed to stop the direct or indirect offer, sale and transfer from their territories or by their nationals outside their territories, or hitting their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types, spare parts, and technical advice, assistance, or training related to military activities, to designated individuals and entities.

China has had a technical ban on the proposal against Masood Azhar for the past three years and has resisted action against Masood Azhar on four occasions since 2009, on the basis of technical grounds, thus helping Pakistan in preventing him from being declared an international terrorist.

For the fourth time in March China had blocked the JeM head’s listing as a global terrorist by the UN.

However, when the US, UK and France brought the proposal to declare Masood Azhar as an international terrorist, China decided to talk to Pakistan and forced it to take action against the Jaish’s head.

Masood Azhar is now officially listed as a global terrorist by the United Nations. India has been pushing diplomatically in the international arena as well as China and had last week discussed this with Foreign Minister Wang E and other top leaders in the Chinese administration.

Yesterday, China decided to remove its hold on the proposal, which was moved by France, UK and the US in the UN Security Council’s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee in February following the in Pulwama attack which was carried out by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish.

According to sources, Beijing had decided to withdraw its opposition after consultations with Pakistan during which all objections raised by Pakistan side led by that country’s Prime Minister Imran Khan were addressed.

Soon after the UN announced the ban, France the co-sponsor of the proposal to ban Masood Azhar welcomed the news and said that it remains mobilised at all levels to take effective measures against terrorism. France had also in an application of its Monetary and Financial Code, had adopted national sanctions against Masood Azhar mid March this year.

Top leaders and officials from the US, China and Pakistan have been talking for a long time to declare Countries like the US the diplomats from US, China and Pakistan as well as other leaders from across the globe. The focus was to ensure that in the fight against terrorism the master mind Masood Azhar is blacklisted.

When China was not relenting, countries including US, the UK and France had decided to bring another proposal in the Security Council to debate on the issue of Masood Azhar. And it was only then that China decided to ask Pakistan to take action against Azhar.

Despite its efforts in curbing terrorism activities from its soil Pakistan since last June has been named in the `Grey List’ of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) for failing to curb terror financing.