NewsGate Press Network

India on Tuesday welcomed the UN Security Council decision to declare Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist and said threats from terrorism in the region remain high and sanctions by the UNSC are an effective tool to curb such threats.

This was stated by External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi in a statement issued earlier on Tuesday the 17th of January 2023.

Bagchi also said India will continue to press the international community to take credible, verifiable and irreversible action against terrorism. “We welcome the decision of the UN Security Council’s ISIL and Al Qaida Sanctions Committee to list Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki, who is also the brother-in-law of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed,”  Bagchi said in response to questions.

Bagchi said Makki has occupied various leadership roles in LeT, including raising funds for the organisation. “Threats from terrorist organisations in the region remain high and listings and sanctions by the UNSC, are an effective tool to curb such threats and dismantle terror infrastructure in the region,” Bagchi said.

Earlier on Tuesday the 17th of January 2023 itself news had come that China allegedly defended its move to lift a technical hold leading to Makki tagged as global terrorists.

The UN Security Council’s 1267 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee while listing Makki will actually now lead to immediate freeze of all

Makki was among a number of Pakistan-based terrorists which China over the years sought to block from listing as global terrorists.

In May 2019, India secured a huge diplomatic victory at the UN when the global body designated Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a “global terrorist” after Beijing lifted its objections.

China’s move to remove its objections to Makki’s UN listing comes as its new Foreign Minister Qin Gang began his tenure. Qin, who was previously China’s envoy to the US, succeeded Wang Yi.

Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee, veto-wielding permanent member China was the sole hold-out during the process to list Makki.

The UN said in a press release, Makki is deputy Amir/Chief of LeT a.k.a JuD and Head of the Political Affairs Wing JuD/LeT. He also served as head of LeT’s foreign relations department and a member of Shura (governing body).

Makki, born in Bahawalpur, Punjab Province of Pakistan, is a US-designated terrorist.

He was arrested on May 15, 2019, in Pakistan and placed under house arrest in Lahore. In 2020, a Pakistani court convicted Makki of terrorism financing and sentenced him to jail, the sanctions committee said.

The sanctions committee said that whilst Makki has held his leadership positions within LeT and JuD, LeT has been responsible for or had involvement in prominent attacks including the Red Fort attack in which six LeT terrorists had entered Red Fort on December 22, 2000, and opened indiscriminate fire on the security forces guarding the Fort.

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 the Arabian Sea in Mumbai with pre-decided targets out of which Ajmal Kasab was caught alive, the rest were killed.