Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar has been finally designated as a global terrorist in the United Nations sanctions list -- after China lifted its technical hold.
India had been relentless in its global diplomatic efforts to lobby the UN Security Council against Masood Azhar. However, China always -- until now -- proved to be an obstacle in the path to designate him a global terrorist.
Read Full Story: Masood Azhar designated global terrorist in UN sanctions list; China removes objections
India intensified its effort after the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 that claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF personnel. Azhar's JeM had then claimed responsibility for the dastardly attack.
Jaish-e-Mohammed or JeM is a Pakistan-based terror group.
Pakistan, however, has always maintained that it has got nothing to do with JeM.
Here's a timeline of how India scored a big win at the UNSC on May 1:
February 14, 2019: At least 40 CRPF personnel were killed on Valentine's Day in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a Jaish suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 200 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. The attack also left many critically wounded.
February 15, 2019: Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed responsibility for the bombing. It also released a video in which the bomber, Adil Ahmad Dar, a 20-year-old school dropout, in full battle gear, posed behind a row of scary looking guns.
He said he hoped to reach heaven by means of his attack on the Indian convoy.
February 16, 2019: India withdrew most-favoured nation (MFN) status to Pakistan after the Pulwama incident.
February 26, 2019: Jaish terror group's Balakot camp, where training was imparted to recruits to carry out suicide attacks, was targetted by the IAF in an airstrike. The government has claimed that it achieved a spectacular success by destroying the facility.
February 27, 2019: The US, the UK and France moved a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.
March 3, 2019: Masood Azhar was reported to be suffering from renal failure and was reported to be under treatment and regular dialysis at an army hospital in Rawalpindi.
March 3, 2019: Maulana Masood Azhar is alive, Jaish-e-Mohammed said in a statement -- following a flood of news about its chief's death. The terror organisation released a statement saying, "Respectful Mr Masood Azhar by the grace of Allah, is safe, sound and alright," putting an end to speculations over his death.
Read Full Story: Masood Azhar is alive: Jaish-e-Mohammed denies reports of its chief's death
March 13, 2019: China put a 'technical hold' on the proposal scuttling yet another attempt to blacklist the JeM chief. The proposal was the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.
March 15, 2019: The French government decided to freeze the assets of Masood Azhar, a media report said.
A joint statement issued by the French Interior Ministry, Finance Ministry and Foreign Ministry said that France would also discuss putting Masood Azhar on an European Union list of people suspected of being involved in terrorism.
March 20, 2019: Germany took initiative to include Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the European Union.
Read Full Story: Germany initiates move at European Union to list Masood Azhar as global terrorist
Germany approached many other countries to put Masood Azhar in the list of Global Terrorists in the European Union.
March 28, 2019: The US, supported by France and the UK, directly moved a draft resolution in the UN Security Council to blacklist the Pakistan-based terror group's chief, Masood Azhar.
April 3, 2019: China hit out at the US for threatening to use "all available resources" to designate Masood Azhar as a 'global terrorist', saying Washington's move was complicating the issue and was not conducive to peace and stability in South Asia.
April 22, 2019: India Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale met Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi in Beijing. He raised the issue of blacklisting Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar.
Read Full Story: Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale meets Chinese State Councilor, likely to raise issue of blacklisting Masood Azhar
April 29, 2019: China President Xi Jinping called for de-escalation of tension between Pakistan and India, saying it was hoping the two nations would meet halfway.
President Xi met visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Pakistan and China Investment Forum in Beijing on April 28, and said that both nations could meet each other halfway and promote stabilisation and improvement in their relations.
India skipped the meeting for the second time, protesting over the CPEC which is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Read Full Story: China likely to soften stand on Masood Azhar in a month
April 30, 2019: China said "some progress" was achieved on designating Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN and said it hoped the vexed issue be "properly resolved".
May 1, 2019, morning: China, reportedly, insisted that the issue should be discussed in 1267 committee of the UN rather than in UNSC. Proceedings of 1267 committee are not made public.
May 1, 2019, around 7.20 pm: The 1267 Sanctions Committee designated Masood Azhar as a global terrorist after China lifted the hold on the proposal of the US, the UK and France.
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