UN explains why it banned Masood Azhar, Congress 'disappointed' over no mention of Pulwama, J-K

The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday said that Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar was designated as a global terrorist because of his continued association with a proscribed organisation.

The UN committee listed Azhar on May 1, 2019 as being associated with Al-Qaeda 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" the JeM.

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However, there was no mention of the deadly Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which was claimed by the JeM.

The United Nations said that Jaish-e-Mohammed had been listed as a banned outfit on October 17, 2001 for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating… on behalf or in support of Osama bin Laden and the Taliban and for supplying them weaponry”.

The Congress welcomed the designation of Azhar as a global terrorist, but expressed disappointment that the listing “does not mention Pulwama and Jammu and Kashmir” while recounting his role in terror activities.

The Congress said it expected the Modi government to act with a "greater speed" in pursuing the case with China as several precious lives in terror attacks like Pulwama could have been avoided.   

The Modi government should now push for a declaration of bounty on Azhar's head as was ensured by the UPA in the case of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the Congress said.

Azhar's "belated" declaration as a global terrorist by UN is surely a welcome step and India's fight against terrorism is resolute and the entire nation is one in fighting the menace, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a statement.

Designation as a global terrorist is just the first step and all his sources of funding need to be stopped, he said.

The entire property and terror fund need to be taken over by international agencies, Surjewala said.

"We are disappointed that UN listing doesn't mention Pulwama/J&K while listing Azhar's role in terrorist activities," he tweeted.

The Congress demanded that the Modi government should pursue a complete international ban on Jaish-e-Mohammad and also ensure that other terrorists of JeM are similarly blacklisted by the UN.

It also demanded that the Modi government should pursue the blacklisting of Pakistan as a terrorist state by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

(With PTI inputs)