On Wednesday, China placed a hold on a resolution moved by India and the United States to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Shahid Mahmood as a global terrorist under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council. This is the fourth time when Beijing has rejected a move to blacklist a terrorist at the international organization in as many months.
According to the reports, the US Treasury Department in the year 2016 had designated Mahmood and LeT senior leader Muhammad Sarwar as global terrorists. The move by the United States back then was a part of the action to disrupt Lashkar-e Taiba’s (LeT) fundraising and support networks. “These two Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders are responsible for raising and moving funds to support the terrorist group’s operations”, Acting Director Office of Foreign Assets Control John E Smith had said then.
China holds listing of Pak based terrorist
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) October 19, 2022
-Sept:
Sajid Mir, 26/11 mastermind
-Aug:
Abdul Rauf, involved in hijacking of IC 814, bro of Masood Azhar
-June:
Abdul Rehman Makki, Deputy head of Lashkar E Taiba
-Oct:
LeT’s Shahid Mahmood; already listed by US as intl terrorist
According to the US Department of the Treasury, Mahmood is a long-standing prominent LeT member headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan, and has been its member since at least 2007. From June 2015 through at least June 2016, Mahmood worked as the vice chairman of LeT’s humanitarian and fundraising arm named the Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).
Mahmood was the FIF leader in Karachi in 2014. Later he was recognized as a member of the LeT publications wing in August 2013. “Mahmood was previously part of LeT’s overseas operations team led by Sajjid Mir…Additionally, in August 2013, Mahmood was instructed to forge covert links with Islamic organizations in Bangladesh and Burma, and as of late 2011, Mahmood claimed that LeT’s primary concern should be attacking India and America,” the US Department of Treasury was quoted.
China has consistently defended Pakistani terrorists in the United Nations
This is the fourth time in the past several months that Beijing has placed a hold on proposals to declare Pakistan-based terrorists under the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee regime. Earlier in September, China vetoed India and the United States’ bid to designate Pakistani terrorist Sajid Mir as the most wanted terrorist. Terrorist Sajid Mir is the dreaded terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), whom the US requested the United Nations to designate a global terrorist organization. This proposal was backed by India.
Sajid Mir, India’s most wanted terrorist, was a participant in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The resolution was proposed by the United States and co-designated by India to blacklist Sajid Mir as a global terrorist under the United Nations Security Council’s 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee.
In August, China again placed a hold on proposal by US and India to blacklist Abdul Rauf Azhar, the brother of Jaish-e Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and a senior leader of the Pakistan-based terror organization. Beijing has also been a staunch supporter of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and has come to the rescue of the terrorist several times over India-US proposals to designate him as a global terrorist.
China further also shielded Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Abdul Rehman Makki. In June, China blocked a joint proposal by India and the US to list Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Security Council.
Abdul Rehman Makki is the brother-in-law of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and the deputy commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the political wing of Lashkar-e-Taiba, has also been designated as a terrorist front group by the UN committee. To note, the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 sanctions individuals and entities that assist or finance the acts or operations of ISIL, al-Qaeda, and related individuals, groups, undertakings, and institutions.
Terrorism should not be used as a political tool: EAM Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had addressed the media in September to slam China for politicizing the UNSC 1267 Sanctions regime. “Terrorism should not be used as a political tool and the idea that something is blocked without assigning a reason challenges common sense. The United Nations responds to terrorism by sanctioning its perpetrators. Those who politicise the UNSC 1267 Sanctions regime, sometimes even to the extent of defending proclaimed terrorists, do so at their own peril. Believe me, they advance neither their own interests nor indeed their reputation”, he had said.
However, the decision taken by China today comes amid UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s visit in India. Guterres also paid homage to the victims of the 26/11 attack in Mumbai. Reports mention that Mahmood is linked to Muhammad Sarwar, and both had traveled to Gaza, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Syria, and Turkey in 2010 to conduct business for LeT and FIF. Also, Mahmood, Sajid Mir, Makki, and Sarwar have partnered on a number of projects in the past.
