United Nations (United States) – The United Nations on Wednesday addedMasood Azhar, the leader of a Pakistan-based Islamist group, to its list ofglobal terrorists after China lifted its objections to the move.
The UN sanctions committee on the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda announced in apress release the designation of Azhar, leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM),over its ties to Al-Qaeda.
JeM has claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack in Kashmir thatkilled 40 Indian troops and stoked tensions between India and Pakistan.
Under the decision, Azhar, considered the founder of JeM, will be subjectedto an assets freeze, global travel ban and arms embargo. JeM itself hasbeen on the UN terror list since 2001.
China had blocked three previous attempts at the sanctions committee toblacklist Azhar and put a technical hold on a fourth request from Britain,France and the United States in March.
UN diplomats said the request was again submitted to the committee lastweek and that China had not opposed the move to blacklist Azhar. Anydecision to add individuals or groups to the UN terror list is taken byconsensus in the committee.
Azhar is linked to terrorism for “participating in the financing, planning,facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities” carried outby JeM, according to the sanctions committee.
– India-Pakistan tensions –
India applauded the move which came after its air force in February carriedout air strikes on a JeM militant camp inside Pakistan — the first timesince 1971 that it had hit territory beyond divided Kashmir.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley posted on Twitter: “India stands vindicated.Masood Azhar is now a global terrorist. India is in safe hands. This marksa high point for the Prime Minister’s foreign policy.”
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Tensions between India and Pakistan have soared since the February attackin Kashmir that prompted tit-for-tat air raids, fueling fears of an all-outconflict between the two nuclear-armed countries.
Islamabad has denied any involvement in the attack.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end ofBritish colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in fulland have fought two wars over it.
The decision to blacklist Azhar came after Chinese President Xi Jinpingheld talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan last week on thesidelines of a summit of the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing.
France, which slapped unilateral sanctions on Azhar in March, also welcomedthe decision and stressed it had pushed for many years for the JeM leaderto be put on the list.
The United States in late March put forward a draft Security Councilresolution to blacklist Azhar, ratcheting up pressure on China to removeits opposition to the sanctions.
Azhar founded JeM after he was released from prison in India in 1999 inexchange for 155 hostages held on an Indian Airlines flight that had beenhijacked to Kandahar. -APP/AFP
