Ban on Masood Azhar: Diplomatic Win For India as France to Move Proposal at UN to Ban JeM Chief
This will be the second time France will be party to such a proposal at the UN.
New Delhi, February 19: In a major diplomatic breakthrough for India, France will move a resolution at the United Nation to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist. According to news agency PTI, the French government will move the proposal against Masood Azhar in a couple of days. Azhar's UN-proscribed JeM claimed the responsibility of the Pulwama terror attack.
"At the UN, France will lead a proposal to put Masood Azhar on the terrorist list… It will happen in a couple of days,” a senior French source told PTI. This will be the second time France will be party to such a proposal at the UN. In 2017, the US, supported by the UK and France, had moved a proposal at the UN’s Sanctions Committee 1267 to ban Azhar. However, the proposal was blocked by China. Pulwama Terror Attack: How CRPF Jawans Fell in JeM Trap.
A convoy of 78 buses, in which around 2500 CRPF personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar, came under attack at around 3.15 pm at Ladhu Modi Lethpora on February 14. The JeM claimed the responsibility of the attack. Following the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government withdrew the 'Most Favoured Nation' or MFN status given to Pakistan for bilateral trade and vowed to launch diplomatic offensives against Islamabad.
Just a day after the Pulwama attack, India on Friday started the process of isolating Pakistan on the international stage with Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale meeting at least two dozen envoys in the national Capital. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Friday, said the External Affairs Ministry would also initiate all diplomatic measures to ensure the global isolation of Pakistan.
40 CRPF personnel were killed when their convoy was targeted on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on February 14. The convoy comprised 78 buses in which around 2500 personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 19, 2019 08:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).