Will Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar Be Declared as a Global Terrorist at the UN?

The US, UK, and France have supported India’s bid to list Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar as the global terrorist. After listing, Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief – Masood Azhar will face the global travel ban and arms restraint.

The fresh proposal was moved by the three permanent members of the 15-nation Security Council. The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the US, the UK, and France. The proposal is the fourth attempt at the UN to list Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

The first time, in 2009 India moved a proposal to list Azhar whose Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the suicide attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama on February 14. In 2016, the second attempt was made, when India moved the proposal with the P3 – the United States, the United Kingdom, and France in the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar. In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, China a permanent member with the veto power in the Security Council blocked India’s proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee. However, it’s interesting to see how China will vote on the proposal this time.

China and Pakistan share friendly relations. China has consistently blocked moves first by India and later by the US, the UK, and France to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the 1267 Committee by putting technical holds. “France is working on a proposal to ban chief of the UN-proscribed Jaish-e Muhammad (JeM) Masood Azhar and could move it in the Sanctions Committee after it assumes the Presidency of the powerful UN Security Council in March”, the sources said.

India has strongly repeated its appeal to all members of the global community to support the proposal to list Azhar, as designated terrorists under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.