India on Wednesday (September 2) hailed the United Nations Security Council’s 1267 sanctions sub-committee's decision to reject Pakistan's attempts to list 2 Indians as designated terrorists.
The UNSC panel made up of France, United Kingdom and the United States blocked the designations of Angara Appaji and Gobinda Patnaik as terrorists. According to Pakistan, Appaji and Patnaik were allegedly involved in an Afghanistan-based “Indian terror syndicate” that were engaged in rousing banned terror groups Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jamaat-Ul-Ahrar (JuA) of Pakistan. Islamabad accused these groups of planning to carry out terror strikes in Pakistan.
Hailing the UNSC's decision, India’s UN envoy TS Tirumurti tweeted, "Pakistan’s blatant attempt to politicize 1267 special procedure on terrorism by giving it a religious colour has been thwarted by UN Security Council. We thank all Council members who've blocked Pakistan’s designs."
Pakistan’s blatant attempt to politicize 1267 special procedure on terrorism by giving it a religious colour, has been thwarted by UN Security Council. We thank all those Council members who have blocked Pakistan’s designs. @MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar @PMOIndia @harshvshringla
— PR UN Tirumurti (@ambtstirumurti) September 2, 2020
UNSC members gave Pakistan time to provide evidence against the two Indians but Islamabad could not provide it. A hold was put for Pakistan to come up with evidence but the country failed.
Earlier, Pakistan had attempted to list two other Indians-- Venumadhav Dongara and Ajoy Mistry as terrorists but Islamabad had failed in its attempt then too. Pakistani Foreign Ministry in a statement in June had expressed its "disappointment" for not able to list Dongar. It alleged that they were backing groups like Jamaat-ul-Ahrar etc.
The move was considered a quid pro quo move by Pakistan for India able to get Masood Azhar listed as a UN terrorist in 2019. Azhar is the chief of Pakistan-based UN listed terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) responsible for Pulwama terror attack, among other attacks in India. Pakistani nationals are listed in the largest number at the UN terror list.
