UN Finally Designates Masood Azhar as a ‘Global Terrorist’

The UN has finally designated Masood Azhar, the leader of the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed as a Global Terrorist. The UN move comes after China has dropped its objection to the listing. India is celebrating it as a diplomatic victory.

Jaish-e-Mohammed has carried out the suicide bombing in February this year in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed in Pulwama, Kashmir and which has brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war. Now after this sanction Masood Azhar will be subject to an assets freeze and a travel ban.

India’s ambassador to the United Nations, tweeted, “Big, small, all join together. Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist in the @UN Sanctions list. Grateful to all for their support”.

Under pressure, Pakistan has said it would immediately enforce the sanctions, which was hard for them to swallow. Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said, “Pakistan maintains that terrorism is a menace to the world, including the Indian state-sponsored terrorism against innocent Kashmiris”. He also said that it would be false to present the recent development as a “victory for India and validation of its stance”.

The proposal to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist had been brought forward by the United States, Britain and France after the recent attack in Kashmir. 

The attack worsened the relationship between the nuclear-armed Pakistan and India. While China, which is a long-time ally of Pakistan had in three occasions in the past, blocked the sanctions committee from imposing sanctions on Masood Azhar but finally had to give in.

Let us understand Jaish-e-Mohammad or JeM, the terrorist organisation which is otherwise regarded as a social welfare organisation in Pakistan.

Jaish-e-Mohammad literally means the Army of Mohammad. In the year 1999, Masood Azhar founded the group after he was released by India. He was one of three men who were set free in exchange for the release of crew and passengers of an Indian Airlines plane, which was hijacked and flown to then Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

Masood Azhar is closely associated with Taliban leader Mullah Omar and al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden. India has blamed JeM for the attack on its parliament in December 2001, a claim that JeM always denies. India has also blamed JeM for the attack on Pathankot airbase near the Pakistani border in January 2016, which left three security forces dead.

Though JeM is officially banned in Pakistan, the group still operates sometimes using as Tehreek-al-Furqan, Afzal Guru Squad and Al-Murabitoon. Now, with this sanction, Pakistan will also be under the watch of the world community for its aid and support to the terror organisations inside its territory.