China blocks India-US proposal to list Pak-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki under UNSC sanctions

International

oi-PTI

United
Nations,
Jun
17:
China
has
put
a
hold
in
the
UN
at
the
last
moment
on
a
joint
proposal
by
India
and
the
US
to
list
Pakistan-based
militant
Abdul
Rehman
Makki
as
a
global
terrorist
under
Al
Qaida
Sanctions
Committee
of
the
Security
Council.

Makki
is
a
US-designated
terrorist
and
brother-in-law
of
Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT)
chief
and
26/11
mastermind
Hafiz
Saeed.
It
is
learnt
that
New
Delhi
and
Washington
had
put
a
joint
proposal
to
designate
Makki
as
a
global
terrorist
under
the
1267
ISIL
and
Al
Qaida
Sanctions
Committee
of
the
UN
Security
Council
but
Beijing
placed
a
hold
on
this
proposal
at
the
last
minute
here.
Earlier
also,
China,
an
all-weather
friend
of
Islamabad,
has
placed
holds
and
blocks
on
bids
by
India
and
its
allies
to
list
Pakistan-based
terrorists.

In
May
2019,
India
had
won
a
huge
diplomatic
win
at
the
UN
when
the
global
body
designated
Pakistan-based
Jaish-e-Mohammed
chief
Masood
Azhar
as
a
“global
terrorist”,
a
decade
after
New
Delhi
had
first
approached
the
world
body
on
the
issue.
A
veto-wielding
permanent
member
of
the
UN
Security
Council,
China
was
the
sole
hold-out
in
the
15-nation
body
on
the
bid
to
blacklist
Azhar,
blocking
attempts
by
placing
a
“technical
hold”.
All
decisions
of
the
committee
are
taken
through
consensus.
In
2009,
India
had
moved
a
proposal
by
itself
to
designate
Azhar.

In
2016
again
India
moved
the
proposal
with
the
P3
–
the
US,
the
UK
and
France
in
the
UN’s
1267
Sanctions
Committee
to
ban
Azhar,
also
the
mastermind
of
the
attack
on
the
air
base
in
Pathankot
in
January
2016.
In
2017,
the
P3
nations
moved
a
similar
proposal
again.
However,
on
all
occasions,
China,
a
veto-wielding
permanent
member
of
the
Security
Council,
blocked
India’s
proposal
from
being
adopted
by
the
sanctions
committee.
Keeping
up
the
international
pressure
to
designate
Azhar
as
a
global
terrorist,
the
US,
supported
by
France
and
the
UK,
had
moved
a
draft
resolution
directly
in
the
UN
Security
Council
to
blacklist
him.

In
November
2010,
the
US
Department
of
the
Treasury
had
designated
Makki
as
a
Specially
Designated
Global
Terrorist.
As
a
result
of
this
designation,
among
other
consequences,
all
property,
and
interests
in
property,
of
Makki
that
are
subject
to
US
jurisdiction
are
blocked,
and
US
persons
are
generally
prohibited
from
engaging
in
any
transactions
with
Makki.
“In
addition,
it
is
a
crime
to
knowingly
provide,
or
attempt
or
conspire
to
provide,
material
support
or
resources
to
the
Foreign
Terrorist
Organisation
LeT,”
the
US
said.

The
US
Department
of
State’s
Rewards
for
Justice
programme
is
offering
a
reward
of
up
to
USD
2
million
for
information
on
Makki,
“also
known
as
Abdulrahman
Maki.
Makki
has
occupied
various
leadership
roles
within
Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT),
a
US-designated
Foreign
Terrorist
Organisation
(FTO).
He
has
also
played
a
role
in
raising
funds
for
LeT
operations.
“In
2020,
a
Pakistani
anti-terrorism
court
convicted
Makki
on
one
count
of
terrorism
financing
and
sentenced
him
to
prison.

The
United
States
continues
to
seek
information
on
Makki
because
the
Pakistani
judicial
system
has
released
convicted
LeT
leaders
and
operatives
in
the
past,”
according
to
information
on
the
Rewards
for
Justice
website.

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