The fresh appeal was made on Wednesday by – US, UK and France, the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

The US, UK, and France moved a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council or UNSC on Wednesday to hereby name Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

Masood Azhar, leader of JeM has been widely responsible for the recent terror massacre of a CRPF convoy which killed over 40 soldiers in south Kashmir’s Pulwama and soon claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.

Azhar has also been responsible for 2008 Mumbai attack, 2016 Pathankot attack and hijack of Indian Airline Flight 814 (IC814).

Designating him as a global terrorist will subject him to global travel, ban asset, freeze and arms embargo.

The fresh proposal moved on Wednesday (27 February) is the fourth such bid at the UN in the last ten years to list Azhar as a global terrorist.

The US, UK and France are three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council who moved the fresh proposal to ban Azhar and designate as a global terrorist.

The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the fresh proposal submitted by the three members.

In 2016 again, India moved the proposal with the P3 – the United States, the United Kingdom and France in the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar.

In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council; blocked India’s proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee.

It remains to be seen how China will vote on the proposal this time.

China, a close ally of Pakistan, has consistently blocked moves first by India and later by the US, the UK and France to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the 1267 Committee by putting technical holds.

France assumes the crucial rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in March.

Stay tuned for more updates!