China blocks India-US proposal to designate Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki under UNSC sanctions

Islamabad, June 17: China has 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.

 

Reports suggest that India and the US earlier in June proposed to list Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki under the UN Security Council's Al-Qaeda 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. 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.

 

 

It is learned that the proposal to list Makki under the UN Security Council sanctions regime was circulated to all members of the Council's 1267 Committee under a no-objection procedure till June 16. China placed a "technical hold" on the proposal to list Makki.

 

Beijing's decision is 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).

 

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 its credibility and risk exposing even itself more to the growing threat of terrorism.