Daily Times

The listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the United Nations 1267 sanctions panel on Wednesday will put no additional penalties except a ban on his foreign travels, holding of bank accounts and bearing of weapons, nor is Pakistan bound to take any legal action against him in consequent to the listing.

Masood Azhar’s listing as a global terrorist was a move jointly sponsored by the US, UK and France. After Pakistan’s objection, the US took the matter to the UN Security Council. In view of China’s exercise of veto power, the US reverted to the 1267 committee. China and Pakistan succeeded in avoiding the matter being taken up by the UNSC and also got it delinked from the Pulwama incident and the unrest in the Indian-held Kashmir as propagated by India. Pakistan’s basic objection to Masood’s listing was that he has no link to the Pulwama attack or the ongoing freedom movement in the occupied valley since it is an indigenous freedom struggle and Pakistan will continue with its moral, political and diplomatic support to the oppressed people of Kashmir. And Pakistan has adequately succeeded in achieving its objective.

China has been leading the efforts since long to resolve the dispute on the listing issue through talks. A permanent veto-wielding member of the Security Council, China has blocked previous attempts in 2009, 2016 and 2017 to provide space for Pakistan and India to resolve the dispute bilaterally. The latest support by the brotherly neighbouring country came on March 13 this year when Beijing put on technical hold the French proposal seeking designation through 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee, arguing that it needs more time to study the case. “We support the listing issue being settled within the 1267 Committee through dialogue and consultation, and I believe this is the consensus of most members. With the joint efforts of all parties, this issue can be properly resolved. China is in contact with all relevant parties on the issue and will continue to engage in the discussion,” Chinese Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday, just a day before the listing of Masood Azhar by the UN panel.

It is interesting to note that Masood Azhar and Jaish-e-Mohammad have already been disbanded by Pakistan since 2002 with the same restrictions like ban on traveling abroad, holding bank accounts and owning or carrying any weapons.

Pakistan is taking major and effective steps against all forms of terrorism, extremism and terror-financing in the country since it wants peace and stability in the region. In a major move that aims at seeking removal of name from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) ‘grey list’, Pakistan last month issued elaborate and comprehensive guidelines detailing steps to implement the UNSC resolution 1267 to curb terror financing. The major concern of the FATF included Pakistan’s alleged lack of action or absence of comprehensive plan to freeze assets and impose other restrictions on individuals and entities listed by the UN panel.

India is likely to propagate the development as a big diplomatic success. However, the fact remains that New Delhi is committing unprecedented atrocities against the innocent Kashmiris through oppressive laws such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act, which grant Indian military forces immunity from prosecution for human rights violations. Despite heights of atrocities and human rights abuses by India in the occupied valley, the liberation struggle is intensifying with each passing day. Listing or no listing, India will have to resolve this dispute as per wishes of the Kashmiri people and according to the resolutions of the UN Security Council.

After the arrival of Narendra Modi in power, the expected escalations between India and Pakistan are at their peak. However, at the same time, India faces several other insurgencies in several regions within the country, fuelled by unparalleled social, political and economic inequalities and sheer discrimination by Indian authorities. These conflicts have taken the precious lives of thousands of people. More than half of the Indian states are also suffering from the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency led by the support of the poor rural population, which is not happy with the Indian state oppression and is fighting back. In a fresh incident on Wednesday, a suspected bomb attack by Maoist rebels killed 26 Indian elite commandos in the latest incident of election-time violence in a decades-long insurgency.

Following the listing of Masood Azhar, Pakistan also needs to remain on constant guard since New Delhi may try to exploit the situation to infuse misunderstanding between Islamabad and Beijing through RAW-sponsored terrorist attacks on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, and especially the Chinese working in Pakistan. It is time to keep our eyes and ears open to thwart any negative propaganda by the enemy.