In a rare event, China on Tuesday lifted a ‘technical’ hold that led to the designation of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba’s deputy chief Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist by the 1267 UN Sanctions committee, saying that listing of terrorists promotes global counter-terrorism cooperation and hailed Islamabad for backing counter-terrorism efforts, reported PTI.
Makki, the 68-year-old brother-in-law of Jamat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, was designated a global terrorist by the UN after China lifted its hold on a joint India-US proposal to blacklist the deputy chief of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
“Terrorism is the common enemy of humanity,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told at a media briefing when asked about China’s decision to lift its objections to India and the US move to declare Makki a global terrorist.
“The 1267 Committee (of the UN Security Council) is an important international counterterrorism mechanism” and listing of terrorists or terror organisations under the aegis of the UN is conducive to enhancing international counterterrorism cooperation in response to terrorist threats, he added.
“The relevant people have been convicted and sentenced by Pakistan. The listing also shows Pakistan’s firm combat against terrorism, it is a recognition,” he said, without elaborating why China, a close ally of Pakistan, decided to put a technical hurdle in the first place.
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According to ANI, India had made listings of Pakistan-based terrorists a top priority of its United Nations tenure during 2021-22. A total of five names were submitted by India for designation under 1267 in 2022- Abdul Rehman Makki (LeT), Abdul Rauf Asghar (Jaish-e-Mohammed, JeM), Sajid Mir (LeT), Shahid Mahmood (LeT), and Talha Saeed (LeT).
Each of these five names was initially placed on technical hold by one member state while all other 14 members of the Council agreed to their listing.
Makki’s case was submitted on June 1, 2022, by India with the US joining as a co-designating state. One member state placed a technical hold on 16 June 2022 and after the six-month period again renewed its hold in mid-December, ANI reported.
The UN Security Council’s move to add Makki to its list of designated terrorists on Monday, subjected him to an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo, after years of efforts by India and its allies.
Makki was among a number of Pakistan-based terrorists which China over the years sought to block their listing as global terrorists.
In May 2019, India secured a huge diplomatic victory at the UN when the global body designated Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a “global terrorist” after Beijing lifted its objections.
China’s move to remove its objections to Makki’s UN listing comes as its new Foreign Minister Qin Gang began his tenure. Qin, who was previously China’s envoy to the US, succeeded Wang Yi.
It also comes at a time India and China sought to resolve the military standoff in Eastern Ladakh through high-level military and diplomatic dialogue. The two countries have held 17 rounds of talks to work out the disengagement of troops from several points of friction in eastern Ladakh.
Makki, born in Bahawalpur, Punjab Province of Pakistan, is a US-designated terrorist.
He was arrested on May 15, 2019, in Pakistan and placed under house arrest in Lahore. In 2020, a Pakistani court convicted Makki of terrorism financing and sentenced him to jail, the UN said.
(With inputs from agencies)