The United Nations on Wednesday, 1st May 2019 declared the Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar based in Pakistan as a global terrorist. It is indeed a major diplomatic triumph for India as the Indian government have been persistently trying to blacklist Masood Azhar as a terrorist since almost a decade.
It also indicates that internationally, the voice of India is getting attention and all the UN countries with veto powers are finally convinced that it is time hard measures are taken to stop global terrorism.
China’s Changed Stand Made The Difference
Just a few days after the terrorist attack on the Indian CRPF jawans in Pulwama, UK, France, and the US moved a proposal in the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Security Council in February related to banning Masood Azhar.
Incidentally, despite the fact that JeM accepted the responsibility for the Pulwama terrorist attack China which is one of the 5 countries with veto power blocked this proposal repeatedly.
Even in March, the UK, France, and the US once again put up a fresh proposal to designate Azhar as a global terrorist. It received immediate backing from Russia which is yet another permanent member of the Security Council. However, China still blocked the proposal on technical grounds.
Finally, China lifted its ban on the proposal making way for the UN to declare the JeM Chief as a “global terrorist.” On February 26, the Indian jets attacked the camp of JeM at Balakot in Pakistan in response to the 14th February Pulwama attack in J & K that killed almost 50 personnel.
After the airstrike by India, rumors circulated that Azhar died in the attack whereas Pakistan claimed that he is undergoing treatment for renal failure.
Role Of Sanctions Committee
India has been struggling to maintain peace in the last more than two decades fighting against terrorist activities. From bomb blasts to hijacks and kidnapings, terrorists have tried and many times succeeded in damaging properties, assets and even killing hundreds of lives. But when strong measures are taken at a global level, it certainly helps to choke and control activities of the terrorists.
In 1999, the Sanctions Committee of the UN Nations Security Council was formed under Resolution 1267. The committee imposed limited sanctions on the Taliban group. In the past few years, the sanctions have evolved including many more measures against such designated entities and individuals.
How Will It Help To Combat Global Terrorism?
The measures and restrictions imposed by the Sanctions Committee on the enlisted groups or individuals help to restrict the activities of the terrorists as they stop receiving funds and their entry is banned in most of the countries. Here are some of the prominent measures taken by the Sanctions Committee:
1. Freezing Asset
Immediately after the committee declares a particular individual or entity as a threat to global peace all the members of the United Nations have to freeze the funds and other economic resources or financial assets of the designated person or entity.
2. Ban On Travelling
All the members of the UN have to prevent the transit or entry of the designated individuals through or on their territories.
3. Stopping Arms Direct Or Indirect Supply
It is mandatory for all the member states to prevent the indirect or direct supply of arms, transfer, and sale from their grounds or to any other nationals outside their own territories.
These countries should not use their flag vessels or aircraft for transporting arms and related material of all the different types including spare parts for helping the designated entities or individuals.
Similarly, the member countries should not offer any technical advice, training or assistance related to military activities to these designated groups or people.
The Sanctions Committee not only asks the members of the UN to implement these measures with immediate effect but also sees to it that the measures of the sanctions have been implemented and reported annually to the Security Council.
Since Pakistan is also a member, after Masood’s designation as a global terrorist, it will now have no other option but to take actions against him as an individual and also against all the entities and groups that are supporting him or are supported by him.
It will immediately shut down all the terrorist activities of Azhar and also restrict his movement thereby forcing JeM either to surrender or stop its terror camps. These restrictions are expected to stop activities of JeM completely and may even discourage other terrorist camps and groups from spreading terrorism.
