In a major diplomatic victory for India, Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masoosd Azhar has been named a global terrorist by the United Nations after China withdrew its objections. Masood Azhar's finances and assets will be frozen after his listing. China put a technical hold in March on a fresh proposal to ban Masood Azhar, the head of the Pakistan-based Jaish, which claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. China had blocked Masood Azhar's listing as a global terrorist by the UN four times.
US, UK and France had been working hard to step pressure on Beijing by taking the issue directly to the powerful UN Security Council. China insists that it should be resolved at the 1267 Committee whose proceedings are not publicised. Masood Azhar was put under house arrest at Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, after the Balakot attack and has been recently shifted to a safe house in Islamabad, reports said.
India's stand has been vindicated with the naming of Masood Azhar, Indian minister Arun Jaitely said. Masood Azar is now a global terrorist. India is in safe hands. This marks a high point for the Prime Minister's foreign policy. After his release in exchange of passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines IC-814 flight in 1999 by the then BJP government, Masood Azhar went on to form Jaish-e-Mohammed and ordered many terror strikes in India, including on Parliament House, Pathankot Air Force base, Army camps in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Pulwama bombing.
"France welcomes the designation. For many years now, French diplomacy has been relentlessly pleading for sanctioning Azhar, notably, for the Pulwama attack last February." A UN blacklisting will subject Masood Azhar to 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.
