(Image source from: India Today)

India’s move to declare Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based terrorist group leader Masood Azhar, Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, and Dawood Ibrahim as terrorists under a new law, has been backed by the United States on Thursday.  

The United States State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs quoted Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Ambassador Alice Wells as saying that the U.S. stood with India on the matter.  

“We stand [with] India [and] commend it for utilizing new legal authorities to designate 4 notorious terrorists: Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi & Dawood Ibrahim. This new law expands possibilities for joint US-India efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism.”

We stand w/ #India & commend it for utilizing new legal authorities to designate 4 notorious terrorists: Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi & Dawood Ibrahim. This new law expands possibilities for joint #USIndia efforts to combat scourge of terrorism. AGW

— State_SCA (@State_SCA) September 4, 2019

According to a report by The Hindu, the statement by the United States comes a day after India’s Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification declaring the four as terrorists under clause (a) subsection (1) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.  

Hafiz Saeed is already been held in custody while Zaki-ur-Rehman Lahkvi is currently on post-arrest bail. Last year, Pakistan confirmed sanctions on Azhar when the United Nations’ 1267 Sanctions Committee designated him as a global terrorist after China removed its objection to its listing.

By Sowmya Sangam