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New York: The Security Council Committee of United Nations today, pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al‑Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities approved the addition of India’s most wanted terrorist Mohammed Masood Azhar (51 yrs) to its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al‑Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities.

The addition of the Pulwama terror attack mastermind and the founder of Jaish-i-Mohammed and former leader of Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM) Masood Azhar’s name to the Sanctions List of individuals is subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2368 (2017), and adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.

India will continue with its efforts through international forums to ensure that terrorist organizations and their leaders who cause harm to our citizens are brought to justice. – Official Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India

Official Spokesperson’s response to media query on China’s lifting the hold on terrorist designation of Masood Azhar by the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN

Masood Azhar is now a designated global terrorist. This is significant as China had used its veto power four times since 2009 to block the move to declare him as a global terrorist. China, all along, was sticking to its technical stand that there was lack of evidence against him. The approval by the Security Council to add Masood Azhar to its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al‑Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities is a major diplomatic coup and a victory of India in its war against terror. At last China chose to dump Pakistan when it lifted hold on the proposal by the US, UK and France to include Masood Azhar in the Sanctions List.

Reason for listing:

Mohammad Masood Azhar was listed on 1 May 2019 pursuant to paragraphs 2 and 4 of resolution 2368 (2017) as being associated with Al-Qaida for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of”, “supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material to”, “recruiting for”, “otherwise supporting acts or activities of”, and “other acts or activities indicating association with”:

Jaish-i-Mohammed: Additional information

Masood Azhar, upon his release from prison in India in 1999, in exchange for 155 hostages held on an Indian Airlines flight that had been hijacked to Kandahar, Afghanistan, has also financially supported Jaish-i-Mohammed (JEM) since its founding. 

The UN Security Council listed JEM on October 17, 2001, as being associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden, and the Taliban for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of”, “supplying, selling or transferring arms and related materiel to” or “otherwise supporting acts or activities of” Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden and the Taliban.

Azhar is also a former leader of the terrorist group Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM), aka Harakat ul-Ansar; most of these groups’ members subsequently joined JEM under Azhar’s leadership.  In 2008, JEM recruitment posters contained a call from Azhar for volunteers to join the fight in Afghanistan against Western forces.

Jaish-i-Mohammed (JeM), listed on 17 Oct. 2001

Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM), listed on 6 Oct. 2001

Update: May 01, 2019

In response to media query on China’s lifting the hold on terrorist designation of Masood Azhar by the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN, the MEA Spokesperson made the following comments:

The 1267 Sanctions Committee’s decision to designate the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad, Masood Azhar, as a UN proscribed terrorist is a step in the right direction to demonstrate the international community’s resolve to fight against terrorism and its enablers. We welcome the decision. This is in accordance with India’s position and in line with the information that India has shared with the members of the Sanctions Committee regarding terrorist activities of Masood Azhar and the Jaish-e-Mohammad. India will continue with its efforts through international forums to ensure that terrorist organizations and their leaders who cause harm to our citizens are brought to justice.