(Image source from: BusinessToday)
India’s longest struggle to get Pakistan based terror organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar under the category of a global terrorist has been met after the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday designed him as a global terrorist.
India has been making every effort to get Masood Azhar declared a global terrorist from the year 2009 itself and the effort further intensified after the Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack which resulted in the loss of lives of over 40 Indian Central Reserve Police Force personnel on February 14, 2019.
The United Nations mentioned the reason for listing of Masood Azhar and stated on its website that, "Mohammad Masood Azhar Alvi was listed on 1 May 2019 pursuant to paragraphs 2 and 4 of resolution 2368 (2017) as being associated with Al-Qaida for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of”, “supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material to”, “recruiting for”, “otherwise supporting acts or activities of”, and “other acts or activities indicating association with."
Masood Azhar formed the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) after he was released from prison in India in the year 1999. In order to get Azhar released, terrorists had hijacked an Indian Airlines flight to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Azhar was released from prison in exchange for 155 hostages.
Azhar also provides the financial backing to the JeM, said the UN's report. The UN Security Council had listed JEM on October 17, 2001, as being associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden, and the Taliban for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of”, “supplying, selling or transferring arms and related materiel to” or “otherwise supporting acts or activities of” Al-Qaida (QDe.004), Usama bin Laden and the Taliban."
The designation of global terrorist will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban, and an arms embargo. An assets freeze under the sanctions committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities, said reports.
-Sangam Sowmya
