Pak to enforce sanctions on him; US, France welcome move
KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, May 1: The United Nation’s Sanctions Committee has declared Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.
Earlier, China said on Tuesday that the vexed issue of designating Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN will be properly resolved.
China had put a hold in March on a fresh proposal by the US, UK and France to impose a ban on the chief of the JeM which claimed responsibility for the deadly Pulwama terror attack.
The proposal was the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist and India had moved the proposal several times. 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.
The move is seen as a huge diplomatic win for India after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist him under the Security Council’s Sanctions Committee.
“Big, small, all join together. Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist in @UN Sanctions list. Grateful to all for their support,” India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.
When asked whether China has lifted the hold, Mr. Akbaruddin told PTI that “yes, done.” China removed its hold on the proposal, which was moved by France, U.K. and the U.S. in the Security Council’s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee in February just days after the horrific terror attack against Indians security forces in Pulwama carried out by the Pakistan-based terror outfit.
Meanwhile, hours after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Wednesday designated Masood Azhar a global terrorist, Pakistan said it would immediately enforce the sanctions imposed on the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief.
“This entails a ban on foreign travel, asset freeze and arms embargo. Earlier proposals to list Masood Azhar failed to generate the requisite consensus in the Sanctions Committee as the information did not meet its technical criteria. These proposals were aimed at maligning Pakistan,” Dawn quoted Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal as saying.
Faisal further said the listing of Azhar had been agreed after all political references were removed, including attempts to link the issue with Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
France and the US were among the first nations to welcome the UN move as China lifted its technical hold on Azhar’s listing under the UNSC 1267 sanctions committee.
China, which had blocked proposals to list Azhar as a global terrorist four times in the past 10 years, said Beijing lifted its hold after it found no objection to the listing proposal by the US, the UK and France.
“On this listing issue, China has been communicating with relevant parties in a constructive and responsible fashion. Recently, relevant countries revised and re-submitted the materials for the listing proposal to the 1267 Committee. After careful study of the revised materials and taking into consideration the opinions of relevant parties concerned, China does not have an objection to the listing proposal,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.
Shuang held that in international counter-terrorism cooperation consensus had to be built through dialogue and technical issues should not be politicised even as he stressed that Pakistan had made enormous contributions in fighting terrorism.
“The proper settlement of the above-mentioned issue again shows that in international counter-terrorism cooperation, we have to uphold the rules and procedures of relevant UN body, follow the principle of mutual respect, resolve differences and build consensus through dialogue, and prevent politicising technical issues,” he added.
Masood Azhar designated as global terrorist as China lifts technical hold; PM Modi calls it a big victory
France, US among first countries to welcome move
France, one of the sponsors of the proposal to list Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN, was the first country to welcome the move. “This decision taken at the United Nations Security Council signals the successful realisation of our efforts,” the French Foreign Ministry said.
Meanwhile, the US sought “sustained actions” from Pakistan against terrorism as outlined in its National Action Plan.
“We are encouraged by the initial steps taken by the Government of Pakistan…We look forward to further and sustained actions from Pakistan as outlined in its National Action Plan, and consistent with its international obligations,” a spokesperson for the US mission in UN said.
The US, the UK and France had moved the proposal to designate Azhar as a “global terrorist” in the UN Security Council’s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee in February, just days after the Pulwama terror attack. (Agencies)
