The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has dismissed all applications from Pakistan to categorize four Indians as designated terrorists within its 1267 Committee for Counterterrorism Sanctions. The rejection came from the USA, UK, France, Germany, and Belgium, attributing it to insufficient evidence. The USA, UK, and France are permanent members of the UNSC, whereas, Germany and Belgium have non-permanent membership.
Understanding the UNSC Resolution 1267 Sanctions Committee
The committee supervises the execution of sanctions in compliance with UNSC resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011), and 2253 (2015). Unanimously adopted on October 15, 1999, it is one of the most significant and active UN subsidiary bodies that work against terrorism, primarily related to Al Qaeda, Taliban, and the Islamic State group. It creates a compiled list of individuals linked to these organizations and deliberates on the UN’s strategies to limit terrorist movement through travel bans, freezing of assets, and arms embargoes for terrorism.
Pakistan’s Allegations and Subsequent UNSC Intervention
In September 2019, Pakistan charged that four Indians operating in Afghanistan established an Afghanistan-based “Indian terror syndicate.” According to them, this syndicate was facilitating banned terror groups Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jamaat-Ul-Ahrar (JuA) to conduct assaults in Pakistan. Pakistan and China submitted a joint proposal to declare one of these individuals as a sanctioned terrorist linked to TTP and JuA. However, this move received a veto from the USA in UNSC. An attempt by Pakistan to make a statement at an Open Debate of the Security Council on Terrorism Actions accusing India of terrorism was not acknowledged, as Pakistan is not a member of the UNSC. Consequently, India officially protested against this, labelling it a false claim.
Reasons behind Pakistan’s Actions
The strain in Indo-Pak relations has intensified following the revocation of special status for Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 by India in August 2019, to which Pakistan strongly objected. In a year post the revocation, Pakistan unveiled a new political map incorporating all of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Sir Creek, and Junagadh. Unhappy with India’s successful attempts to list Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief as a “global terrorist” in 2019 after several failures, Pakistan saw this as a smear on its image as a supporter of terrorism globally. Moreover, Pakistan received another extension on the greylist of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) until October 2020 and faced criticism from the United States over its inadequate action against groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
India’s Stand and Way Forward
Dismissal of Pakistan’s efforts to list Indians as terrorists further tarnishes Pakistan’s global reputation. Despite the recent conflict with China and China’s closeness to Pakistan, India needs to remain vigilant about its security. Securing international support is critical for India given the rising tensions with its neighbours. The recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan are indicative of its lack of seriousness in establishing peaceful relations with India. While India should persist in cultivating better diplomatic ties with Pakistan, peace between the two countries seems unlikely without Pakistan taking substantial measures towards the elimination of state-backed terrorism.
Last Modified: February 9, 2024