China has blocked a proposal to list Pakistani terror convict Abdul Rahman Makki as a UN Security Council-designated terrorist.
What is the issue about?
Makki is on India’s UAPA list of designated terrorists.
He held a leadership position when the LeT carried out the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack in 2008, the Red Fort Attack in 2000, as well as several attacks on security force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years.
Makki has also been on the U.S.’s list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists since 2010.
India and the US had submitted the joint proposal to designate Makki as a global terrorist under the 1267 ISIL and al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council (UNSC).
China placed a technical hold on the proposal to list Makki which blocks the adoption of the listing proposal till it is withdrawn.
China had earlier put a technical hold on the UNSC designation of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar for over a decade, which it lifted only in May 2019.
What is the UN terrorist designation?
The UNSC 1267 Committee of the UNSC was established as a result of resolution 1267 in 1999.
It is also known as the AlQaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee.
The Committee comprises all 15 members of the UNSC and decides unanimously and secretly.
It was established for the purpose of overseeing the implementation of sanctions measures imposed on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan for its support of Osama bin Laden.
Eventually the committee has been modified and strengthened by subsequent resolutions.
Including an individual/organisation in the 1267 list will
restrict the movement
impose financial penalties
deny access funds (assets freeze)
deny buying of weapons
What do China’s actions signify?
While China defends its actions that it blocked as “technical objections” based on “procedural” loopholes, it is clearly part of a pattern of protecting Pakistan internationally.
As a result of China’s objections or otherwise, none of the terror designations under UNSC 1267 against Zaki ur Rahman Lakhvi in 2008, Hafiz Saeed in 2009 and Masood Azhar in 2019 actually contains charges for any attacks carried out in India.
It is necessary for the Government to gather evidence and systematically build its case on cross-border terrorism on the international stage.
