China halts joint proposal by India & US to list LeT deputy chief as global terrorist

New Delhi: India and USA jointly proposed Abdul Rehman Makki, deputy chief of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), to be included in the United Nation’s list of global terrorists. However, China placed a hold on the proposal. It was a last minute ‘technical hold’ placed by China.

Abdul Makki is a designated terrorist in both India and USA, and was also put on house arrest in Lahore in May 2019. He is also the brother-in-law of LeT chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, who is a UN-proscribed terrorist.

On June 1, India and USA proposed to list Makki under the UN Security Council’s Al Qaeda (Dae’sh) and ISIL Sanctions Committee, also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee. The process was halted as China put a ‘technical hold’ and this step blocks the adoption of the proposal till the hold is withdrawn. This hold can last upto 6 months at a time. In the past also, China has repeatedly halted the proposal to list Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). It took a decade for India to put Masood Azhar in the list of designated global terrorists in May 2019.

Makki held a leadership position in LeT and is known to be involved during the Red Fort attack in December 2000, 26/11 Mumbai Attacks, Rampur CRPF attack on January 1, 2008 and many other prominent terroritst attacks in India.

This step by China will definitely raise a question on their stand against terrorism.