India’s perseverance has finally paid off as China had to lift its “technical hold” on the designation of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) deputy chief Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist under the 1267 UN Sanctions committees as the country was left isolated in the security council.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China had placed a hold on the Pak-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki’s designation as a foreign terrorist organisation in the 1267 committee in July 2022.

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In June 2022, China blocks India, US joint proposal

In India, Makki is on the UAPA list of designated terrorists and is wanted for his involvement in the Red Fort attack in Delhi in 2000, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, and attacks on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, whereas the US has also placed Makki on its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists and has announced a USD 2 million reward for information that would convict him.

In June 2022, China blocked a joint proposal from the US and India to have Makki included on the UNSC’s list of global terrorists. The combined request to add Makki to the UNSC’s 1267 list of terrorists associated with al Qaeda and ISIL was “technically held” by Beijing at the last minute. India criticised Beijing’s action, calling it “extremely unfortunate.”

However, this time with India getting 14 out of 15 members of the UN Security Council on its side, China on Monday was forced to give up the “technical” hold on the designation of Lahore-based Lashkar-e-Taiba’s deputy chief Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist by the 1267 UN Sanctions committee.

In August 2022, China blocks proposals against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) top commander Azhar

Earlier in August, when all other 14 members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) agreed to impose sanctions on Abdul Rauf Azhar, a top commander of the banned terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which has its headquarters in Pakistan, only on enation – China stood out by coming to the defence of a terrorist, placing a hold on the proposal.

The decision was received as extremely antagonistic to China’s claims of combating terrorism. However, 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 the Pakistan-based and UN-proscribed terrorist entity, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

Azhar has been under US Sanctions since 2010 after the United States accused him of urging Pakistanis to engage in militant activities and organize suicide attacks in India. A number of terror incidents, including the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane in Kandahar, Afghanistan, the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, and the 2016 attack on the Pathankot air force installation in India, were allegedly planned and carried out by him.

China consistently put a hold on UNSC recommendations to name him as a terrorist, doing so in 2009, 2010, 2016, and 2017, citing “inadequate facts” regarding Masood Azhar’s terrorist actions.

In September 2022, China puts hold on proposal against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, Sajid Mir

China had put a hold on a proposal moved at the United Nations by the US, co-supported by India to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, Sajid Mir as a “global terrorist.”

India’s most wanted terrorist, he was involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The US moved the proposal and co-designated by India to blacklist Mir under the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council as a global terrorist.

Resolution 1267 provides for sanctions against individuals and entities that support or finance the acts or activities of ISIL, Al-Qaida, associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities.

Sajid Mir is a top Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) Commander and is in charge of the “India Setup” of LeT. He is one of the masterminds of the Mumbai Terror Attack (November 26, 2008) and was responsible for the largest ever overseas LeT terror attack resulting in the death of nationals of several countries including India and Western countries.

A hold on Sajid Mir was noted as the third time in a period of few months in 2022 that China blocked an India-US proposal in recent months after Abdul Rehman Makki, LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) leader, as well as Abdul Rauf Azhar, the brother of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) chief Masood Azhar, were protected by Beijing.

United Nations Security Council has designated Abdul Rehman Makki, the brother-in-law of 26/11 mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed who has been given a safe haven in Pakistan, as a global terrorist under its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee on Monday.
India’s perseverance has largely been responsible for the stepping up of international pressure to designate the Pakistan-based, LeT deputy chief Makki as a global terrorist.

This listing is seen as a major win for New Delhi after China in June 2022 blocked a joint proposal by India and the US to get the UNSC to list Makki as a global terrorist. Beijing put a last-minute “technical hold” on the joint proposal to put Makki on the UNSC’s 1267 list of terrorists linked to al Qaeda and ISIL.

The move by Beijing was condemned by India as “extremely unfortunate.”
“On 16 January 2023, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities approved the addition of the entry specified below to its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2610 (2021) and adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,” the UN said in a statement on Monday.

When it comes to counter-terrorism, Pakistan has made limited progress on the most difficult aspects of its 2015 National Action Plan, specifically in its pledge to dismantle all terrorist organizations without delay or discrimination, said the US State Department in its 2020 Country Reports on Terrorism.

China should reflect on its response that signals double standards in combating terrorism. Protecting well-known terrorists from sanctioning in this manner will only undermine their credibility and risk exposing them even itself more to the growing threat of terrorism.