United Nations: In a significant development, the United Nations on Monday designated Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) deputy leader Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist after China withdrew its hold on a joint proposal by India and the US. The latest move by the United Nations will subject Makki to an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.
Makki, the brother-in-law of JUD/LeT chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, and other LeT/JUD operatives “have been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalising youth to violence and planning attacks in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K),” the sanctions committee said.
According to a press release issued by the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee, Makki “wanted by the Indian government”, was listed as being associated with ISIL or Al-Qaida for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of”, “recruiting for”, “otherwise supporting acts or activities of”, and “either owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by, or otherwise supporting” Lashkar-e-Taiba.”
“Makki was arrested on May 15, 2019, by the Pakistan government and was under house arrest in Lahore. In 2020, a Pakistani court convicted Makki of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison,” the sanctions committee said.
China, an all-weather friend of Islamabad, has repeatedly placed holds and blocks on bids by India and its allies to list Pakistan-based terrorists. In June 2022, China put a hold on a joint proposal by India and the US to list Makki under the 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.
The sanctions committee said that while Makki has held his leadership positions within LeT and JUD, the LeT has been responsible for or had involvement in prominent attacks including the Red Fort attack in which six LeT terrorists had stormed Red Fort on December 22, 2000, and had opened indiscriminate fire on the security forces guarding the Fort.
