In support for UN's new terror funding resolution, India's curt dig at 'serial offender' Pakistan

India on Friday backed the United Nations brand new French-drafted resolution that calls on nations to "ensure that their domestic laws and regulations establish serious criminal offenses" to prosecute those who collect funds or provide economic resources to terror organizations or terrorists. However, without taking Pakistan’s name, India slammed its neighbour for backing terror outfits. Syed Akbaruddin, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, said that though New Delhi more than welcomes the resolution, more must be done about those backing terror outfits.

 

New milestone adopted by @UN to Counter Terrorist Financing.

Unfortunately, States who are apologists for terrorists will continue to provide alibis to justify their actions & inaction too - @IndiaUNNewYork
https://t.co/OeupspHS38#zerotoleranceforTerror#NoMoneyforTerror pic.twitter.com/vRNHdi86ku

— Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) March 29, 2019

"Terrorists are going to be ever more creative in finding ways to violate the rulebook. Also, the unfortunate reality is that States who are apologists for terrorists will continue to provide alibis to justify their actions and inaction too, as was done by a serial offender earlier today," Akbaruddin said. "The proof of the pudding is in its eating, the utility of any council resolution will, therefore, be in its implementation...The Council can and needs to do a better job of overseeing the implementation of its resolutions relating to terrorist financing," he added.

The statement came after Pakistan on Thursday told its ‘all-weather friend’ China to lift the technical hold on the United Nations listing of Masood Azhar - chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed - as a global terrorist only if India agrees to carry out a military de-escalation on the Line of Control (LoC), reports Hindustan Times. The other condition set by it is that Delhi should resume bilateral dialogue with Islamabad on all outstanding issues including Kashmir.

The development comes as China has indicated that it won't support the unilateral draft resolution circulated by the US to the UN Security Council (UNSC) to declare Jaish as an international terrorist.

Slamming Washington for its move, Beijing also accused it of ‘bypassing’ the UN 1267 Committee and eroding its authority.

The development comes two weeks after China put a hold on a proposal to list Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council, the US on Wednesday circulated the draft resolution to the powerful 15-nation Council to blacklist the leader of the Pakistan-based terror group and subject him to a travel ban, an assets freeze and an arms embargo.

UN sources told PTI that this is the "first time" the US, the UK and France have moved a draft resolution directly in the Security Council to designate Azhar. The previous have been listing proposals in the Sanctions Committee of the Council to designate Azhar.

(With agency inputs)