The win came only after China, which had four times in the past blocked moves to blacklist the terrorist, finally dropped its objections. This now means that there will be a freeze on Azhar’s finances and assets, a ban on his travel and an arms embargo. India’s attempts to get Azhar on the UN list of terrorists, which had started in 2009, had been thwarted by China that has veto powers in the Security Council. It became possible now, only after the neighbouring country withdrew its objections.
India has been the target of this man, now declared as global terrorist, and the latest attack by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed led by Azhar was at Pulwama in February in which 40 soldiers were killed. It was after this attack, that a fresh proposal was moved in the UNSC to get him declared a global terrorist. While the government takes credit for Azhar being on the blacklist, there is, however, a point of contention arising out of this, as the opposition in India has pointed out that references to Pulwama and Kashmir were dropped from the proposal. They have raised the question of whether Azhar was declared a global terrorist for past deeds. This is an interesting development, as it was Pulwama that brought Azhar back into focus, and led to the fresh proposal.
But, besides a diplomatic victory, what does such a move achieve for India? Critics dismiss this stating that Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Hafiz Saeed is also a declared terrorist, but this has not resulted in any practical benefits to the country. Which brings to question whether countries will act to freeze Azhar’s accounts and even arrest him? If this does not happen, then this remains a mere diplomatic win, with little change ore benefit on the ground. He is still free to roam and plot against India, and against other countries. It does not curb his activities in any manner, unless the country where he is residing acts against him.
There are demands now from the opposition parties and even from members of the BJP in India that Pakistan act against the global terrorist. The neighbouring country’s role will be important here. Though Pakistan, in a quick reaction, has assured to immediately enforce sanctions – travel ban, arms embargo – imposed on Azhar, India will have to wait to see whether this actually does happen. Pakistan has stated that it had rejected earlier proposals to list Azhar as terrorist as those efforts had a political agenda and aimed at maligning Pakistan. In this play of words that has been going on, the larger effort to eliminate terrorism takes a back seat.
The diplomatic victory has to spur India to put pressure on Pakistan, with the help of the international community to go beyond just the sanctions imposed on Azhar and even arrest him. The travel ban, finance freeze will not restrict the terrorist, as these can be worked around. The impact of this will be seen only if Azhar is held and tried. Otherwise this remains merely a victory on paper, giving Azhar all the freedom he needs to carry out more terror attacks on India.
The formation of the JeM in 2000, a little over a month after Azhar was released by Indian authorities in exchange for the hostages of the Indian Airlines flight hijacked to Kandahar, began a new chapter in the terror of Jammu and Kashmir. This has to now begin a new chapter in India’s long battle against terror. This war has to stop, and it can only if all countries come together.
