LeT Deputy Chief Abdul Rehman Makki Designated as 'Global Terrorist' by UNSC

The listing comes after China had placed a "technical hold" on the proposal to blacklist Makki in June 2022.

Abdul Rehman Makki, head of JuD’s political and international affairs wing was arrested during a government crackdown.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday, 16 January, listed Pakistan-based top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist under its ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.

Who is he?: Abdul Rehman Makki, a US-designated terrorist, is the brother-in-law of LeT chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed. In the past, he has occupied several leadership positions within the LeT and has played a key roll in fundraising and financing.

What has the UNSC said?: In a statement, the committee said,

On 16 January 2023, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da'esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings 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 Charter of the United Nations.

UNSC statement

The committee also mentioned the horrifying 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and described it as the “most audacious attack by LeT in India".

An official UN communique said that Makki was associated with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or Al-Qaeda for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating" activities to aid the LeT and their allies.

The timing: The listing comes almost a year after China blocked the process to Makki as a global terrorist.

In June 2022, India and the US had put a joint proposal to designate Makki as a global terrorist under the 1267 ISIL and Al Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council but Beijing, a close ally of Pakistan, placed a "technical hold: on this proposal at the last minute. At the time, India called the incident "extremely unfortunate."

China's tepid past: Beijing has had a history of blocking New Delhi's attempts to designate terrorists on the global stage. It had also blocked proposals to designate Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan based UN-proscribed terror entity Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)

India’s move to place LeT’s Sajid Mir, also known to have played a key role in the 26/11 attacks, was also thwarted by Beijing.