UN: China blocks US-India proposal to blacklist Pak-based 26/11 plotter
China on Thursday blocked a proposal moved by the United States (US) and backed by India at the United Nations (UN) to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Sajid Mir as a global terrorist. One of India's most-wanted terrorists, Mir has been identified as the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and has a $5 million bounty on his head declared by the US.
Why does this story matter?
This is the third time that China blocked an India-US proposal to blacklist terrorists after Abdul Rauf Azhar, brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader Masood Azhar, and Abdul Rehman Makki, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) leader and LeT chief Hafiz Saeed's brother-in-law. After Pakistani authorities claimed Mir was dead, an anti-terrorism court in the country sentenced him to 15 years in a terror financing case in June.
Proposal sought to freeze assets, ban travel
China blocked the proposal under the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council (UNSC) which sought to designate Mir a global terrorist subjecting him to assets freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo. As per reports, Mir was responsible for launching LeT operatives in India and looked after the security of LeT Operations Chief, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi — the man behind anti-India terror activities.
Declared terrorist under UAPA in 2020
He was reportedly involved in recruiting and training militants overseas for LeT and traveled to UAE, Bangladesh, Canada, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Saudi Arabia for the same. Interpol has issued two notices against him, while in 2020, he was top on the list of 18 individuals declared as terrorists by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
Mir sentenced before FATF officials' Pak visit
A Paris-based global terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has put Pakistan on its gray list, which the country has been trying to exit. It was speculated that the sentencing of Mir by an anti-terrorism court came in view of the FATF officials' visit to the country to check if it was implementing the reforms against money laundering and terror financing.
Mir sentenced to stop his extradition to US: Intelligence sources
Indian intelligence sources had, however, called the sentencing an eyewash saying that it was aimed at stopping Mir's extradition to the US. Mir is reportedly in charge of its 'India Setup' and was the one to instruct terrorists to execute hostages during the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, which killed 175 and injured 291. He allegedly changed his appearance through plastic surgery.
