Masood Azhar of Jaish-e-Mohammad is named ‘global terrorist’ by the United Nations

• Jaish chief Masood Azhar has been designated as a terrorist by the United Nations.
• Syed Akbaruddin, India’s ambassador to the UN, took to Twitter to announce the UN’s decision.

In what comes as a huge victory for India, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar has been designated as a terrorist by the United Nations.

Syed Akbaruddin, India’s ambassador to the UN, took to Twitter to announce the UN’s decision. He wrote, “Big,small, all join together.Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist in @UN Sanctions list. Grateful to all for their support.”

India was pushing at the UN for Masood Azhar to be declared as a global terrorist and the proposal for the same had been pushed forward by the US, UK and France. China had then exercised its veto in the United Nations to put a hold on listing Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

Azhar’s JeM had claimed responsibility for the four deadliest terror attacks in India since the turn of the century.

On Tuesday, during an official visit to Islamabad, Alice Wells, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, United States of America had said “We would encourage the parties to move forward with Masood Azhar's designation as global terrorist. It reaffirms the centrality of UNs’ role in designating terrorists.”

Earlier this year,The French government had announced that it will be freezing all assets of Azhar in its country.

In March 2019, the US had moved a draft resolution in the United Nations Security Council, supported by France and the UK, to blacklist Masood Azhar.

Welcoming Azhar’s designation as a global terrorist, the spokesperson for Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, said, “For many years now, French diplomacy has been relentlessly pleading for sanctioning Mr Azhar, head of the terrorist group responsible, notably, for the Pulwama attack last February. In application of its Monetary and Financial Code, France had adopted national sanctions against Masood Azhar on 15th March. This decision taken at the United Nations Security Council signals the successful realization of our efforts.”