Double Standards: At UN, India slams China, Pakistan for protecting terrorists including Abdul Rehman Makki

New York, Aug 10: In a veiled yet apparent reference to China, India said that the practice of placing holds and blocks on listing requests of terrorists without giving any justification must end.

 

These remarks came after India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj briefed during a UNSC debate on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

 

 

"The practice of placing holds and blocks on listing requests without giving any justification must end. It is most regrettable that genuine and evidence-based listing proposals pertaining to some of the most notorious terrorists in the world are being placed on hold. Double standards and continuing politicization have rendered the credibility of Sanctions Regime at an all-time low," she said.

 

 

Earlier, China had blocked a joint proposal by India and the US to list Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Security Council. He has been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalizing youth to violence, and planning attacks in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. It is pertinent to mention that Makki is the brother-in-law of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed. However, China placed a "technical hold" on the proposal to list Makki.

 

 

Beijing's decision was extremely unfortunate as it contrasts its so-called policy of combating terrorism. Notably, 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).

 

At the United Nations debate in New York, the Indian diplomat highlighted the growing use of the Internet and social media platforms to spread terrorist and violent extremist propaganda. "The continued increase in the use of new technologies to move and store funds, including virtual assets, online exchanges and wallets, privacy coins (EACs) and potential misuse of dual-use technologies pose the risk that terrorists will seek to abuse these systems for terrorism-financing and other terror-linked purposes," she said.

 

 

Announcing that India will host a Special CTC session in Mumbai and Delhi on October 28-29, India's Permanent Representative said there is a need for intense discussions on this subject while highlighting the nature of this threat, member states' capacity gaps and best practices.

 

"The high-level meeting will be in-person, and I invite all Council colleagues to participate at the meeting. Formal invitations will be issued by the CTC Chair later this month," she said. During her speech, she also stressed that linkages between terrorism and organized crime need to be addressed.

 

 

The UN diplomat also slammed Pakistan indirectly. "In India, we have had first-hand experience of crime syndicates venturing into terrorism and, immediately thereafter getting state hospitality in a neighbouring country despite being listed under the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee," and added that such hypocrisy needs to be collectively called out.

 

Ambassador Kamboj said India has suffered from the menace of terrorism for decades and has learned to counter this threat with resolve and firm determination. "We hope that the international community will stand united in addressing this threat to humanity with zero tolerance," she said.