New York [US]: On January 16, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) listed Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist under its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee. This listing comes after China last year put on India’s bid to name the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader a global terrorist.
The development comes after India, in June last year, slammed China after it blocked the proposal to list Makki under the Sanctions Committee, also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee.
In a statement, the UN said,”On January 16 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”.
Makki is already listed as a terrorist under the US and Indian domestic laws. He has been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalising youth to violence and planning attacks in India, especially in Jammu & Kashmir.
According to the UN website, whilst Makki has held his leadership positions within LeT and JUD, LeT has been responsible for or had involvement in the following prominent attacks – Red Fort attack, Rampur attack, 26/11 Mumbai attacks (26-28 November 2008), Karan Nagar, Srinagar attack (12-13 February 2018) Khanpora, Baramulla attack (May 30 2018), Srinagar attack (June 14 2018), Gurez/ Bandipora attack (August 7 2018).
Makki is the brother-in-law of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed. He has occupied various leadership roles within LeT, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). He has also played a role in raising funds for LeT operations. In 2020, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court convicted Makki on one count of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison, according to the US State Department.
In the past, China has placed hurdles for listing known terrorists, mainly from Pakistan. It had repeatedly blocked proposals to designate Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based and UN-proscribed terrorist entity, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
