UNSC bans Pak-based JuD; brands its chief, 3 others terrorists

Dharam Shourie

United Nations, Dec 11 (PTI) Acceding to India's demand,
the UN Security Council Thursday imposed sanctions on
Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud Dawa after declaring it a terrorist
outfit and branded four of its top leaders, including founder
of the banned LeT Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and suspected Mumbai
attacks mastermind Zakir-ur-Rehman, as terrorists.

Besides Saeed and Lakhvi, the two top leaders of the JuD,
the front organisation of Lashkar-e-Toiba, declared terrorists
by the UNSC are Haji Muhammad Ashraf and Zaki-ur-Bahaziq.

Lakhvi is the LeT's operational chief while Ashraf and
Bahaziq, an India-born Saudi, collect funds for the JuD, which
is headed by Saeed who formed the outfit in 2002 after
Lashkar-e Toiba was banned.

India had made a strong plea in the Council for
sanctions against JuD, contending along with America that the
outfit is a front for LeT, which was designated as a Foreign
Terrorist Organisation by the US in 2001 and proscribed by the
UN in 2005 for its affiliation with the al-Qaeda. The LeT,
banned in Pakistan since 2002, is also outlawed by the EU.

The Council also asked member States to freeze assets of
the 4 LeT men and imposed travel ban and arms embargo on them.

Reacting to the UN Security Council's decision, JuD chief
Saeed said in the Pakistani city of Lahore that he would
approach the world body to make it clear that his group was
only engaged in "relief and educational" activities.

"If there is any evidence against Jamaat-ud Dawa with
India or America, it can be presented in any court. We are
ready to defend ourselves in court," Saeed told reporters.

Meanwhile, the US said it is pleased the UNSC Committee
decided to move forward on these high-priority designations.
"These actions will limit the ability of known terrorists to
travel, acquire weapons, plan, carry out, or raise funds for
new terrorist attacks."

India had sought ban on JuD after LeT was suspected to
be behind the multiple terrorist attacks in Mumbai on November
26 which killed 179 people.

The decision was taken by the Council's committee on
al-Qaeda and Taliban which put JuD and the four individuals on
the Consolidated List of persons and entities connected with
al-Qaeda and Taliban.

During the discussions in the Council's committee, the
Wall Street Journal reported the US had also unsuccessfully
sought blacklisting of former members of Pakistan's ISI for
their support to LeT. Though the report did not mention their
names, it is believed that former ISI chief Hamid Gul was
among those figured in the US list.

For a ban to be placed, all 15 members of the Council
must agree. The ban on JuD and four of its leaders was placed
after China, which blocked the move earlier, lifted its
objections in view of the barbarity of the Mumbai attacks.

It also amended its ban on two Pakistani organisations
that funded al-Qaeda -- Al-Rashid Trust and Al-Akhtar Trust
International -- to bring their front companies in the
sanction regime. A trustee of Al-Akhtar Trust owned the home
where the body of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel
Pearl was found in 2002.

The ban came a day after Minister of State for
External Affairs E Ahamed made a powerful case during a debate
on terrorism in the Council for imposing sanctions on JuD and
Saeed. The US had sought blacklisting of the remaining three.

India had sent a communication on Friday to the Council's
committee on al-Qaeda and Taliban giving reasons as to why JuD
should be sanctioned. The committee generally waits for five
days to see if any objection is received.

Pakistan had given a pledge in the Council that it would
proscribe JuD should the Council decide to ban it but
diplomats said only time will tell if Islamabad keeps its
promise.