Global terror tag on Masood Azhar as China lifts block at UN

New Delhi/United Nations: In a huge diplomatic success for India in the midst of poll season, Pakistan-based terrorist and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar was finally designated a “global terrorist” by the United Nations (UN) on Wednesday after China finally reversed its stand and lifted its hold on India’s decade-old proposal. India swiftly welcomed the decision and hailed the UN’s move as “a step in the right direction to demonstrate the international community’s resolve to fight against terrorism and its enablers”.

The designation of Azhar as a global terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UNSC will reportedly lead to a global financial assets freeze against him, a travel ban and an arms embargo. Assets freeze under the sanctions committee requires that all states freeze without delay all funds and other financia assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a “big success” for the country’s efforts to root out terrorism.

“It is a big success for India’s efforts to root out terrorism... India’s voice is being heard globally. India’s views cannot be ignored any longer, it has been proved,” Mr Modi said at an election rally in Jaipur.

The move showed that the relentless diplomatic pressure brought on China by India and Western powers — US, UK and France — finally bore fruit resulting in Beijing ultimately caving in.

Reacting to the development, a chastened Pakistan said, “Our position is in line with the statements of Prime Minister Imran Khan who clearly stated that there is no space for any proscribed organisation or its affiliates to operate from Pakistani territory.”

In India, political parties cutting across ideological divide as well as strategic affairs experts hailed the UN action against Azhar, the mastermind of several major terror strikes in India.

The Congress welcomed the move but expressed its “disappointment” over no mention of JeM chief’s role in the Pulwama terror attack in the UN resolution.

“Pakistan based Masood Azhar’s belated declaration as a global terrorist by UN is surely a welcome step. India’s fight against terrorism is resolute. We are disappointed that UN listing doesn’t mention Pulwama/J&K while listing Azhar’s role in terrorist activities,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said, “No mention of terror in Kashmir and no mention of Pulwama. It’s amazing how quickly the sacrifices of the CRPF men were sold down the river to get a symbolic win.”  

According to news agency reports from New York, the UN committee listed Azhar as a global terrorist, for being associated with Al Qaeda, for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of… supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material to… recruiting for… otherwise supporting acts or activities of”, and “other acts or activities indicating association with” the JeM.

The UNSC, including China, had on February 22 unanimously condemned “in the strongest terms” the “heinous and cowardly” Pulwama bombing and had accepted that the JeM had claimed responsibility for the terror attack.

France, the UK and the US had moved a fresh proposal to declare Azhar a global terrorist by the UN in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in February. The JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack. Despite the fact that all the other 14 UNSC members voted in favour of the proposal, China put a technical hold on it, blocking it for the fourth time. The Chinese move was termed “disappointing” by India.

This newspaper had exclusively reported on April 11 that there were strong indications that Beijing would reverse its stand in May and India’s efforts at the UN to designate Azhar a global terrorist, which began in 2009, would finally sail through.

The proposal had been mooted four times in the past decade but could not go through in the face of Chinese opposition.