Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the terrorist organisation that claimed responsibility for the Pulwama attack, is run by Masood Azhar. According to the latest reports, US, UK and France have moved a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council to designate him as a 'global terrorist'.

This is the fourth time that the proposal for listing Azhar as a global terrorist is coming up in the United Nations. India had proposed a similar move in 2009 and in 2016. In 2017, P3 nations moved a similar proposal again.

China has been consistently blocking India, US, UK and France's efforts to list Azhar as a global terrorist since 2016. However, after the Pulwama attack, China released a scathing statement issued by the UN Security Council on February 21.

Azhar's History

Azhar's terrorist group has claimed responsibility for some of the most dastardly terror attacks in India. Two of the prominent ones were the attacks in Pathankot and on the Parliament in December 2001.

In January 2016, a heavily armed group attacked the Indian Air Force Base in Pathankot, killing around 19 soldiers while Parliament attack took place in 2001, killing New Delhi police personnel.

Before these attacks, Azhar was under detention by the Indian government. He was released by the Vajpayee government in 1999, along with Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar and Omar Sheikh, in exchange for the release of the passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC-814.

Azhar had been arrested in 1994 on the grounds of being involved in terrorist activities.

A person is named 'global terrorist' when the United Nations lists him as a threat to the global economy as he is capable of causing geopolitical tensions. The one who is listed can be subject to a global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo.

The UN Security Council Sanctions Committee has 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by France, UK and US to declare Azhar as 'global terrorist'.

First Published:Feb 28, 2019 1:29 PM IST