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Encourage parties to move forward on Masood Azhar blacklisting: US official
Alice Wells, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs said: “We would encourage the parties to move forward with the designation (of Azhar). It reaffirms the centrality of UN and UN role in designating terrorists.”
The United States of America has called for the different parties involved in the designation of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist to move forward together on the issue.
Alice Wells, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, while talking to journalists at the US Embassy in Islamabad, said: “We would encourage the parties to move forward with the designation (of Azhar). It reaffirms the centrality of UN and UN role in designating terrorists.”
She noted: “We believe the designation process should be technical in nature, even assessment of evidence and countries moving forward to ensure that UN process works and works well and the international community is able to take corrective action against any terrorist, whoever they are, wherever they are located.”
On Tuesday, China had hinted at progress having been made on Azhar’s designation by the United Nations’ 1267 Sanctions Committee, as the US called to resolve the contentious matter, local newspaper Daily Dawn reported on Wednesday.
The Dawn report quoted Pakistani officials as saying that China could lift its technical hold leading to Azhar’s designation, while developments in this regard are likely to be shared by the Pakistan Foreign Office with the media at a special briefing.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, speaking at a media briefing in Beijing, said: “We support the listing issue being settled within the 1267 committee through dialogue and consultation and I believe this is the consensus of most members. Second, the relevant consultations are going on within the committee and have achieved some progress. Third, I believe, with the joint efforts of all parties, this issue can be properly resolved.”
India has been seeking Azhar’s listing since 2016, but the latest push came after the February 14 Pulwama attack which was claimed by the JeM. The Indian resolution was backed by UNSC permanent members the US, the United Kingdom and France. China had, however, halted the process by applying a technical hold for the fourth time.
This time, the US, the UK and France, in a change of tactics, plan to table a resolution in the Security Council.
Ambassador Wells was on a two-day trip to Pakistan during which she met Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Hayat, Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa, Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, and several other key officials. Her visit coincided with the trip of US Special Envoy for Afghan Peace and Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and the two together held a few meetings.
