France to initiate fresh UN proposal to ban Jaish chief

NEW DELHI: India’s efforts to corner Pakistan over terrorism received a boost on Tuesday with France taking the lead in a fresh move to list Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council.

France will also take steps to retain Pakistan on a watch list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), French officials said.

India and France agreed to coordinate their efforts when Philippe Etienne, diplomatic advisor to French President, spoke with India’s national security advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday, the officials said.

NEWDELHI: India’s efforts to corner Pakistan over terrorism in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack received a boost on Tuesday with France taking the lead in a fresh move to list Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council. France will also take steps to retain Pakistan on a watch list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is holding its plenary meeting in Paris during February 17-22, French officials said on condition of anonymity.

India and France agreed to coordinate diplomatic efforts to counter terror on two fronts – the UN Security Council’s 1267 Committee and FATF – when Philippe Etienne, diplomatic advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron, spoke on phone with India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Tuesday, French officials said.

“France will take the lead at the UN on a proposal to put Masood Azhar on the terrorism blacklist,” an official said, adding this is expected to be done in a “couple of days”.The UK and the US will join the move by France, people familiar with developments said.

This will be the second time France will back such a move at the UN. In 2017, the US, backed by Britain and France, moved a proposal to sanction Azhar at the Security Council.

China vetoed that move. Officials said France will seek to retain Pakistan on FATF’s “grey list” during the meeting in Paris. Pakistan was placed in FATF’s grey list last June for failing to counter the financing of JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba and their affiliates. The listing happened after Pakistan’s close allies China and Saudi Arabia backed an effort spearheaded by the UK and the US.

The Paris meeting of FATF is reviewing steps taken by Pakistan to address deficiencies in its financial systems to tackle terror financing. A recent call by the US for Pakistan to “freeze without delay” the assets of Security Council-designated terror groups such as JeM has strengthened India’s case.

At least three efforts since 2016 by India, France, US and UK to sanction Azhar at the UN have been thwarted by China. Beijing has been non-committal on New Delhi’s latest demand that the world community ensure Azhar’s listing by the 1267 Committee but India’s foreign policy establishment in New Delhi believes it is becoming increasingly difficult for Beijing to explain its position.