JeM chief Masood Azhar. (File)Leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) credited the designation of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after China Wednesday lifted its technical hold on his listing under the UNSC 1267 sanctions committee.
The designation will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo. The JeM has already been designated as a terror outfit by the United Nations.
“Big, small, all join together. Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist in UN sanctions list. Grateful to all for their support,” India’s Ambassador to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.
Read | Masood Azhar designated as global terrorist after China lifts technical hold
The development comes a month after China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, had put a hold 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 where 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
The BJP credited Modi for the recent development, with party leaders saying India is in safe hands under him. “India stands vindicated. Masood Azhar is now a global terrorist. India is in safe hands. This marks a high point for the prime minister’s foreign policy,” senior BJP leader and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.
India stands vindicated. Masood Azhar is now a global terrorist. India is in safe hands. This marks a high point for the Prime Minister’s foreign policy.
— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 1, 2019
Calling it a “historic success” for India, the BJP used one of its Lok Sabha election slogans, ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’ (It is possible if Modi is there), as it reacted to what is being seen as a major diplomatic win for the country.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told news agency ANI he is “happy that it (Azhar’s designation) has materialised.” Some opposition leaders, however, including Shashi Tharoor of the Congress, referred to reports that references to the Pulwama terror attack and terrorism in Kashmir were dropped by the UN.
“Well that kind of deflates our satisfaction. If Masood Azhar wasn’t blacklisted at last because of Pulwama, then it logically has to be for all his previous sins. So is China admitting they erred in shielding him for 10 years and he was a terrorist pre-Pulwama too?” Tharoor said.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, “Is this true that the listing of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist was only possible because all references to Pulwama & terrorism in Kashmir were dropped?”
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav congratulated the Indian diplomatic corp for the tireless work that led to this “significant victory”. “We demand Pakistan immediately arrest him, freeze his assets and shutdown all organisations linked to him,” he said.
