UN adds Masood Azhar to terror list

The United Nations yesterday added Masood Azhar, the leader of a Pakistan-based Islamist group, to its list of global terrorists after China lifted its objections to the move. The UN sanctions committee on the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda announced in a press release the designation of Azhar, leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), over its ties to Al-Qaeda.

JeM has claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops and stoked tensions between India and Pakistan. Under the decision, Azhar, considered the founder of JeM, will be subject to an assets freeze, global travel ban and arms embargo. JeM itself has been on the UN terror list since 2001.

China had blocked three previous attempts at the sanctions committee to blacklist Azhar and put a technical hold on a fourth request from Britain, France, and the United States in March. UN diplomats said the request was again submitted to the committee last week and that China had not opposed the move to blacklist Azhar.

Any decision to add individuals or groups to the UN terror list is taken by consensus in the committee. Azhar is linked to terrorism for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities” carried out by JeM, according to the sanctions committee.

India applauded the move which came after its air force in February carried out air strikes on a JeM militant camp inside Pakistan -- the first time since 1971 that it had hit territory beyond divided Kashmir. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley posted on Twitter: “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.”