Azhar proscribed under Anti-Terrorism Act much before his UN listing, claims Pak

Hours after the United Nations designated Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday claimed that Azhar was listed under Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Act "much before" the case of his listing was taken up before the UN.

"You are aware that the listing of Maulana Masood Azhar had been under consideration in the Sanctions Committee for several years, (since 2009). He has been proscribed under Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Act for some time, even before his case for listing was taken up by the Sanctions Committee," read a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.

The statement further argued that the earlier proposals to list the JeM chief "failed to generate the requisite consensus in the sanction committee" as the information regarding terrorist activities of Azhar and his outfits did not meet the technical rules and regulations.

"These proposals were aimed at maligning Pakistan and the legitimate struggle of the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmiri for the realization of the right to self-determination and were thus rejected by Pakistan, which has always maintained that resolution of any listing issue should be by consensus, through objective dialogue and consultations, within the 1267 Committee framework and most importantly without politicization," the statement read.

In view of the above arguments, the Pakistani ministry called India's portrayal of diplomatic victory "false and baseless."

The MOFA statement further said that the current listing was agreed after all political references, "including removal of attempts to link it with Pulwama and maligning the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiris in IOK for the realisation of the right to self-determination."

Azhar is the head of the terrorist group responsible, notably, for the Pulwama attack on February 14, which killed 40 CRPF personnel in South Kashmir.

A global terrorist tag under the UN's 1267 committee would lead to a freeze on Azhar's assets and a ban on his travel and constraints on possessing weapons, similarly to the Al Qaida and ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant).