(TibetanReview.net, Jun25’22) – In a direct affront to India, China has on Jun 16 prevented the UN Security Council from putting a Pakistan-based terrorist targeting it from being listed by the UN Security Council as a “global terrorist.”
India and the US, which had jointly introduced the proposal on Jun 1, have already listed Pakistan-based Abdul Rehman Makki, deputy chief of UN-proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a terrorist under their domestic laws.
But China has used its veto to put on “technical hold” the listing of Makki under the UNSC Al-Qaeda (Dae’sh) and ISIL Sanctions Committee, also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee.
India described the decision by China as “extremely unfortunate” given the overwhelming evidence against Makki, reported the timesofindia.com Jun 18. New Delhi has questioned China’s claims of combating terrorism while making such a move.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has obliquely raised the matter at the virtual summit of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (Brics) grouping on Jun 23 hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. He said members of the grouping should understand each other’s security concerns and provide mutual support in designating terrorists, reported the hindustantimes.com Jun 25.
This was, however, not the first time China used its veto to put on “technical hold” the proposed listing of a well-known terrorist. In the past, it had repeatedly blocked proposals to designate as ‘global terrorist’ Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based and UN-proscribed terrorist entity Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which has carried out major terrorist campaigns in India.
China’s placing of a “technical hold” can last for up to 6 months at a time and blocks the adoption of the India-US sponsored listing proposal till the hold is withdrawn, the report noted.
Makki was in the past involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalising youth and planning attacks in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, noted the timesofindia.com report.
“While Makki was holding leadership positions in LeT and JuD, LeT has been responsible for and had involvement in prominent attacks in India such as the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Red Fort attack on Dec 22, 2000, Rampur CRPF Camp attack on Jan 1, 2008, Khanpora (Baramulla) attack on May 30, 2018, Srinagar attack on Jun 14, 2018 and Gurez/Bandipora attack on Aug 7, 2018,” the report quoted an Indian source as saying.
In Pakistan itself, Makki was stated to have been arrested on May 15, 2019 and convicted and jailed in 2020 on terrorism financing.