The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the three members.
Protesters hold a scratched photo of Jaish-e-Mohammad group chief, Maulana Masood Azhar, as they shout slogans against Pakistan. (File Photo: AFP)
India is keeping its fingers crossed on whether China would support a fresh move by the US, UK and France to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council, that might go a long way in crippling his terror factory.
Sources in the government said India had given sufficient information to all five permanent members of the Security Council on the terror network being run by Azhar and why this individual must be declared a global terrorist. This would subject him to a global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. Non-permanent members of the Security Council too had been briefed on the terror attacks carried out by JeM in India over the years, including the recent Pulwama attack.
“We have briefed the Chinese also about JeM and its head…what they will do is not in our hands,” sources said, adding other countries also might try to convince Beijing not to block Azhar’s designation by the world body.
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The fresh proposal was moved on Wednesday by the three veto-wielding 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 three members.
It is the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. China, a close ally of Pakistan, 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 assumes the crucial rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in March.
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