JeM chief Masood Azhar. (File)In a major diplomatic victory for India, the United Nations Security Council designated Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar as a global terrorist after China lifted its technical hold to blacklist him under the Security Council’s Sanctions Committee.
A UNSC designation will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo. Incidentally, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, who was also listed under the UNSC 1267 sanctions committee, continues to move around freely in Pakistan.
READ: Masood Azhar designated as global terrorist after China lifts technical hold
In the past, China had stalled India’s bid to list him as a terrorist at least four times in 10 years, the latest being in March 2018. China had previously blocked India’s attempts three times — 2009, 2016, 2017.
Here’s a brief timeline:
2009
India had started pursuing the case for Azhar’s listing since 2008-09, after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. In 2009, the then UPA government provided China, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), detailed information about the JeM chief involvement in terror activities in India, with a hope that it would garner support from Beijing.
But, China, citing ‘technical’ reasons chose not to support the ban. It further argued that it does not possess ‘sufficient information’ to list Azhar as a global terrorist.
Also Read: ‘Global terrorist’ Jaish chief Masood Azhar a blue-eyed boy of Pakistan’s ISI
2016
Following the Pathankot air base attack in 2016, New Delhi’s focus was back to get Azhar listed as a ‘global terrorist’. But yet again, China asserted that he was not qualified enough to be nailed as a ‘terrorist’ to face UN sanctions as his case ‘did not meet’ the Security Council’s requirements.
“Any listing would have to meet the requirements for blacklisting,” the then Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Liu Jieyi had said.
New Delhi had termed China’s move as ‘incomprehensible’ and alleged that the UN sanctions committee was taking a ‘selective approach’ in tackling terrorism. The then MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said in a press conference that the move “has implications for the entire international community”.
“The recent terror attack in Pathankot on January 2 has shown that India continues to bear the dangerous consequences of not listing Masood Azhar. Given the global networking of terrorist groups, this has implications for the entire international community,” Swarup had said.
2017
Citing a lack of consensus among the members of the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC, China blocked the JeM chief being listed as an international terrorist. Surprisingly, the move by China had come just months after it had agreed to name Jaish-e-Mohammad as a ‘terrorist group’ in a BRICS declaration.
India, yet again, said the move was “deeply disappointing”, “short-sighted” and “counterproductive”.
“We are deeply disappointed that once again, a single country has blocked international consensus on the designation of an acknowledged terrorist and leader of a UN-designated terrorist organisation, Masood Azhar. India strongly believes that double standards and selective approaches will only undermine the international community’s resolve to combat terrorism,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said.
2018
In March this year, China again placed a technical hold on a fresh proposal to impose a ban on Azhar. The US, the UK and France stepped up pressure on Beijing by taking the issue directly to the powerful UN Security Council (UNSC).
Beijing’s opposition to the issue be taken to the apex UN body stems from the fact that it would have to publically explain its stand on its reservations to list Azhar, whose group JeM has already been designated as terror outfit by UN, before exercising its veto power as a permanent member of the UNSC.
China has accused the US of scuttling progress to resolve the issue by taking it to the UNSC and insisted that it should be resolved at the 1267 Committee whose proceedings are not publicised.
