DAWN.com, Islamabad:
The Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday designated Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist after China did not any further object to a fresh move by France, the United Kingdom and the United States to get him listed.
A statement issued by the UN from New York headquarters said: “Mohammad Masood Azhar Alvi was listed on 1 May 2019 pursuant to paragraphs 2 and 4 of resolution 2368 (2017) as being associated with Al-Qaida for terrorist activities”.
The declaration came following a major diplomatic compromise between China and the initiators of the listing proposal under which the movers dropped all references to Kashmiri uprising in the India-held valley, Pulwama incident and Pakistani institutions, especially those linking Kashmiri freedom struggle to terrorism.
After the designation, Azhar will be subject to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.
India had been seeking JeM leader’s listing as a terrorist since 2008 and more specifically after 2016. Prior to the latest proposal moved on April 29, 2019, there had been four attempts by India all of which had been blocked by China on technical grounds.
It should be recalled that JeM that he leads was proscribed by the UN in 2001 and Azhar was domestically listed under Anti-Terrorism Act by Pakistan in 2005.
Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal, while briefing journalists about the issue, said the “earlier proposals to list Masood Azhar … were aimed at maligning Pakistan and the legitimate struggle of the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir for the realisation of the right to self-determination”.
He said the deadlock on Azhar’s designation was overcome after removal of all “political references, including attempts to link it with Pulwama and maligning the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiris in IOK for realisation of the right to self-determination”.
While commenting on Indian celebrations on perceived diplomatic success, Dr Faisal said: “The Indian media’s attempts to build a narrative claiming it as a ‘victory’ for India and validation of its stance are, thus, absolutely false and baseless.”
