New Delhi, June 17 : China yesterday placed a “technical hold” on a joint proposal by India and the US to list Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist under the Al Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council. Sources have termed the decision by China as “extremely unfortunate” and said that it “signals double standards” on Beijing’s claim of combating terrorism.
Makki is a US-designated terrorist and brother-in-law of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, who is a UN proscribed terrorist.
“This decision by China is extremely unfortunate given the overwhelming evidence against Makki. Moreover, it runs counter to China’s claims of combating terrorism,” said sources today.
This is not the first time that China has placed hurdles for the listing of known terrorists. In the past, it had repeatedly blocked proposals to designate Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan based and UN proscribed terrorist entity, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the sources added.
“China should reflect on its response that signals double standards on combating terrorism. Protecting well known terrorists from sanctioning in this manner will only undermine its credibility and risk exposing even itself more to the growing threat of terrorism,” the sources said.
India and the US had jointly proposed on June 1 this year to list Pakistan based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki under the UN Security Council’s Al-Qaeda (Dae’sh) and ISIL Sanctions Committee, also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee. Both India and the US have already listed Makki as a terrorist under their domestic laws.
Abdul Rehman Makki is the deputy Amir/Chief and head of the Political Affairs of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) /Jamat ud-Dawa (JuD), which itself is a UN proscribed terrorist entity.
He also served as head of LeT’s foreign relations department. He is a member of Shura (governing body) as well as member of JuD’s central and proselytizing team.
Makki has been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalizing youth to violence and planning attacks in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. 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 22 December 2000, Rampur CRPF Camp attack on 1 January 2008, Karan Nagar (Srinagar) attack on 12-13 February 2018, Khanpora (Baramulla) attack on 30 May 2018, Srinagar attack on 14 June 2018 and Gurez/Bandipora attack on 7 August 2018.
Makki was reportedly arrested by Pakistan Government on May 15, 2019, and was kept under house arrest in Lahore. In 2020, he was convicted of terrorism financing and was sentenced to prison by a Pakistani court.
The proposal to list Makki under the UN Security Council sanctions regime was circulated to all member of the Council’s 1267 Committee under a no-objection procedure till June 16, 2022.
Regrettably, on June 16, China placed a “technical hold” on the proposal to list Makki. This measure (which can last for upto six months at a time) blocks the adoption of the listing proposal till the hold is withdrawn.
This is not the first time China has placed holds to block terror listing of Pakistan-based terrorists.
China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, had been the sole P5 member to block previous attempts to blacklist Masood Azhar, by placing a “technical hold” on proposals. All decisions of the committee are taken through consensus.UNI
