UNSC designated Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist

The 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) designated Pakistan based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Masood Azhar as a ‘global terrorist’ on May 1, 2019. This could be possible because China has lifted its technical hold on the proposal to blacklist Masood Azhar. In earlier four instances, China had blocked the proposal to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. This is a huge diplomatic win for India and also a symbolic victory towards the fight against terrorism.

Key Highlights

• This time the proposal was moved by P3 countries (USA, France and United Kingdom), a permanent member to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), on February 27, 2019 to designate Azhar as a global terrorist. This move was the response of deadly terror attack in Pulwama by Pakistan based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) which killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans.
• The reason given by P3 countries to list Masood Azhar a global terrorist as he was associated with Al-Qaeda for participating in financing, planning, facilitating, preparing acts in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of JeM; for supplying, or transferring arms and related materials; for recruiting for terrorist organisation; and for other acts or activities indicating association with JeM.
• This move would result in the travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo of Masood Azhar. The sanctions will be implemented by all United Nations member states.

What is 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee?

• The Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee established on 15^th October, 1999 by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1267. Earlier this committee deals with both Al-Qaida and Taliban hence previously known as Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee, but on 2011 the UNSC created separately new Taliban Sanctions Committee to deal with Taliban.
• There are three UNSC committees which deals with counter-terrorism and one of the three committees is Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee. The other two committees are Counter Terrorism Committee and Security Council Committee.
• Currently, this Al-Qaida sanctions committee contains the name of 262 individuals and 83 entities.

About Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Masood Azhar

• Masood Azhar is the founder of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit. He is also a former leader of the terrorist group Harakat al-Mujahadin.
• He was the mastermind of many terror attacks in India which includes Pathankot air base attack in 2016, Pulwama attack in 2019.