Abdul Rehman Makki Designated as Global Terrorist; UN Security Council Says LeT Deputy Chief Was Involved in Radicalising Youth, Planning Attacks in India

United Nations, January 17: Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba's deputy chief Abdul Rehman Makki was involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalising youth to violence and planning attacks in India, the UN Security Council's sanctions committee has said as it designated him as a global terrorist.

The UN Security Council's 1267 ISIL (Da'esh) and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee added 68-year-old Makki to its list of designated terrorists on Monday, subjecting him to an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

The Sanctions Committee provided a narrative summary of reasons for Makki's listing in which it said Makki and other Lashkar-e-Taiba/Jamaat-Ud-Dawa 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)." Abdul Rehman Makki, Deputy Chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Listed as Global Terrorist Under UNSC Sanctions Committee.

In June last year, China put a hold, at the last moment, on a joint proposal by India and the US to list Makki under the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.

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.

Makki was finally designated as a global terrorist by the UNSC sanctions committee after the hold was lifted by China.

Former Indian diplomats hailed Makki's listing as a huge success for the country's diplomacy. Responding to the development, India's former Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told PTI that Makki's listing is a “huge success” for Indian diplomacy.

“First terrorist listing proposal by India in the Security Council to be approved and, further, expressly mentioning terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir emanating from Pakistan. India's presence in the Council and as Chair of the Counter-terrorism Committee has considerably enhanced the focus on terrorism, including cross-border terrorism,” Tirumurti said.

Notably, the proposal in June 2022 by India to list Makki under the UNSC sanctions committee was made under Tirumurti's tenure as India's Ambassador to the UN. India was a member of the UN Security Council for the 2021-22 term and Tirumurti was Chair of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee last year before retiring from the Indian foreign service.

Pakistan’s Abdul Rehman Makki, Deputy Chief Of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Named Global Terrorist.

India's former Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said in a tweet, “1 more success for @IndianDiplomacy. Abdul Rahman Makki designated by @UN Sanctions Committee…The pursuit of the rest continues.”

It was under Akbaruddin's leadership at India's Permanent Mission to the UN here that India won a huge diplomatic win in May 2019 when the global body had designated Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, capping a decade-long relentless effort by New Delhi to sanction Azhar, the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January, 2016.

Makki, born in Bahawalpur, Punjab Province of Pakistan, is a US-designated terrorist and is the deputy chief of LeT, head of the political affairs wing of JUD/LET, a member of JUD's Markazi (Central) Team and Daawati (proselytisation) team.

Makki also served as head of LeT's foreign relations department and member of Shura (governing body). He is the brother-in-law of JUD/LeT Chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed.

The UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee said Makki, “wanted by the Indian Government”, was listed as being associated with ISIL or Al-Qaeda 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-Tayiba.” Pakistan: Tandoor Owners Go on Strike in Swabi Over Surge in Prices of Flour.

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.

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.

In the Rampur Attack, five LeT terrorists had attacked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Rampur on January 1, 2008 in which seven CRPF personnel and a rickshaw puller were killed.

Describing the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as the “most audacious attack by LeT in India”, the committee said 10 LeT terrorists from Pakistan entered via Arabian Sea in Mumbai with pre-decided targets out of which Amir Ajmal Kasab was caught alive, rest were killed.

In the Karan Nagar, Srinagar attack of 12-13 February 2018, LeT Fidayeen (suicide squad) stormed into CRPF (23 Battalion) camp at Karan Nagar area of Srinagar in which one CRPF trooper was killed one Policeman was injured.

In the Khanpora, Baramulla attack of May 30, 2018, three civilians were shot dead by LeT militants while the Srinagar attack of June 14, 2018, senior journalist & Editor in Chief of Rising Kashmir, Shujaat Bukhari, and his two Personal Security Officers (PSOs) were shot by LeT terrorists, the committee said.

In the Gurez/ Bandipora attack of August 7, 2018, four Army soldiers including a Major were killed as Army foiled a major infiltration bid by heavily armed LeT militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez Sector of Bandipora District, Jammu and Kashmir.

In November 2010, the US Department of the Treasury had designated Makki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. As a result of this designation, among other consequences, all property, and interests in property, of Makki that are subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with Makki.

“In addition, it is a crime to knowingly provide, or attempt or conspire to provide, material support or resources to the FTO LeT,” the US said. The US Department of State's Rewards for Justice programme is offering a reward of up to $2 million for information on Makki, “also known as Abdulrahman Maki.

Makki has occupied various leadership roles within Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). He has also played a role in raising funds for LeT operations.

"In 2020, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court convicted Makki on one count of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison. The United States continues to seek information on Makki because the Pakistani judicial system has released convicted LeT leaders and operatives in the past,” according to information on the Rewards for Justice website.