On Monday, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) listed the Pakistan-based terrorist, Abdul Rehman Makki and brother-in-law of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed as global terrorists under its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee (1267 committee).
The UN said in a statement, “On 16 January 2023, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and associated individuals, groups, undertaking and entities approved the addition of the entry specified below to its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2610 (2021) and adopted under Chapter VII of the Chapter of the United Nations”.
Who is Abdul Rehman Makki?
Under the domestic law of both the US and India, Makki has been designated as a terrorist as well as is the brother-in-law of Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. He has been involved in raising funds, recruiting and brainwashing youths to commit them in religious extremities and violence in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. He is the leader of Lahore-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and raises funds for its operations.
According to the US State Department, the Pakistan anti-terrorism court convicted Makki of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison.
Sanctions committee said that under Makki’s leadership in LeT and JUD, LeT was involved in attacks including the December 22, 2000, Red Fort Attack as well as the indiscriminate open fire on the security forces positioned at the Fort.
Makki was listed as a global terrorist by the US Department of the Treasury in November 2010. Under this designation, all Makki’s property within US jurisdiction was blocked and prohibited US citizens to engage in any transaction with Makki.
The US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice programme offers a reward of $2 million for information on Makki.
China safeguarding Makki
China, a permanent UNSC member, was forced to let go of its “technical” hold on the designation of the known terrorists to be listed as global terrorists when India gained the favor of 14 out of 15 members of the UNSC.
China isolated Makki in the UNSC as India made continued efforts in listing the Lashkar terrorist and China covered the Pakistan-based groups till its interest was achieved.
Over the years, China has acted as an agent of Pakistan in the UNSC by blocking efforts of the Indian government allied with the US and France to have Pakistan-based terrorists listed as global terrorists by the ISIS and Al Qaida Sanctions Committee. These include LeT’s Hafiz Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Masood Azhar and his brother Rauf Azhar as well as Hafiz Saeed’s lieutenants Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Sajjid Mir. The two terrorist groups have such strongholds in Pakistan that their leader Saeed and Azhar are praised by Pakistani intelligence and are viewed as force multipliers of the Pakistani tactics against India and the west.
