In a significant improvement, Pakistan-based deputy chief of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Abdul Rehman Makki has been designated as a world terrorist by the United Nations, subjecting him to an belongings freeze, journey ban and arms embargo.

The UN Security Council’s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee added 68-year-old Makki, the brother-in-law of JUD/LeT Chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, to its record of designated terrorists on Monday after China withdrew its maintain on a joint proposal by India and the US.

Amid the event, let’s take a deeper have a look at who Makki is, and why this is an necessary improvement for India:

Who is Abdul Rehman Makki?

Makki has been a long-time aide to LeT’s Amir Hafiz Saeed, and is thought of essential to the group’s operations. In addition to being a member of the Jamaat-Ul-Dawa/prime Lashkar-e-Taiba’s household (he is Saeed’s brother-in-law), Makki has served as a member of the Shura and a member of the JuD’s central and proselytising groups. His main energy is in elevating funds for the LeT’s operations, a report by the Hindu states.

He was born in Bahawalpur, Punjab Province of Pakistan, and is the deputy chief of LeT and head of the political affairs wing of JUD/LeT. Makki has occupied varied management roles inside Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). He has additionally performed a job in elevating funds for LeT operations.

According to a Rewards for Justice Program report, Makki, together with Hafiz Saeed, has additionally been working for the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), which is ‘tasked with defending Pakistan’s pursuits and agitating towards drone assaults in Waziristan, Pakistan’.

The DPC has beforehand opposed the ‘war in Afghanistan’, and has additionally expressed opposition to NATO provides passing by Pakistan.

He was born in Bahawalpur, Punjab Province of Pakistan, and is the deputy chief of LeT and head of the political affairs wing of JUD/LeT

Makki is additionally stated to have shut hyperlinks to Taliban. In 2012, Times of India had reported that he was near Taliban’s Mullah Omar and al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri. In Pakistan, he is well-known for his anti-India speeches, reviews say.

In November 2010, the US Department of the Treasury had designated Makki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. As a results of this designation, amongst different penalties, all property, and pursuits in property, of Makki which might be topic to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US individuals are typically prohibited from participating in any transactions with Makki.

In addition, it is against the law to knowingly present, or try or conspire to supply, materials assist or assets to the FTO LeT, the US stated.

The US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice programme is providing a reward of as much as $2 million for info on Makki, often known as Abdulrahman Maki.

“In 2020, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court docket convicted Makki on one rely of terrorism financing and sentenced him to jail. The United States continues to hunt info on Makki as a result of the Pakistani judicial system has launched convicted LeT leaders and operatives prior to now,” based on info on the Rewards for Justice web site.

Why Is This Important for India?

In the early 1990s, the LeT first appeared in the Kashmir Valley. During the first decade, it concentrated on Jammu and Kashmir. The Red Fort attack, on the other hand, altered the perception of the LeT as a threat. Since then, India has blamed Makki for a number of attacks, both inside Kashmir and elsewhere in the country, the Hindu reports.

The list includes the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the January 1, 2008 attack on the Rampur CRPF Camp, the Karan Nagar attack on February 12-13, 2018, the Khanpora attack in Baramulla on May 30, 2018, the Srinagar attack on June 14, 2018, and the Gurez attack on August 7, 2018.

India accuses Makki of raising funds, radicalising, and recruiting young men to attack India, specifically Jammu and Kashmir. The long list of anti-India attacks prompted India and the United States to label him a terrorist.

The list includes the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the January 1, 2008 attack on the Rampur CRPF Camp, the Karan Nagar attack on February 12-13, 2018, the Khanpora attack in Baramulla on May 30, 2018, the Srinagar attack on June 14, 2018, and the Gurez attack on August 7, 2018.

While the highlight has been centered on Hafiz Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist, Makki had not been on the worldwide terrorist record until.

Why Did China Block the Sanctions Repeatedly?

The Hindu in its 2022 report had quoted sources as saying that the proposal to sanction Makki by the UN Security Council was circulated to all members of the Council’s 1267 Committee under a “no-objection procedure” till June 16. At the final minute, China put a “technical maintain” on the proposal, effectively killing the India-US plan to designate Makki as a global terrorist.

China, an all-weather friend of Islamabad, has repeatedly placed holds and blocks on bids by India and its allies to list Pakistan-based terrorists

China, an all-weather friend of Islamabad, has repeatedly placed holds and blocks on bids by India and its allies to list Pakistan-based terrorists. Beijing has maintained its stance against terrorism, while justifying the holds as time needed to ‘study specific cases’.

What Did the Sanctions Committee Say?

The UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee said Makki, wanted by the Indian Government, was listed as being associated with ISIL or 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, recruiting for, otherwise supporting acts or activities of, and either owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by, or otherwise supporting Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Makki was arrested on May 15, 2019 by the Pakistan Government and was under house arrest in Lahore. In 2020, a Pakistani court convicted Makki of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison, the sanctions committee said.

The sanctions committee said that while Makki has held his leadership positions within LeT and JUD, the LeT has been responsible for or had involvement in prominent attacks including the Red Fort Attack in which six LeT terrorists had stormed Red Fort on December 22, 2000 and had opened indiscriminate fire on the security forces guarding the Fort.

In the Rampur Attack, five LeT terrorists had attacked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Rampur on January 1, 2008 in which seven CRPF personnel and a rickshaw puller were killed.

Describing the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as the “most audacious attack by LeT in India”, the committee stated 10 LeT terrorists from Pakistan entered by way of Arabian Sea in Mumbai with pre-decided targets out of which Amir Ajmal Kasab was caught alive, relaxation have been killed.

In the Karan Nagar, Srinagar assault of February 12-13, 2018, LeT Fidayeen (suicide squad) stormed into CRPF (23 Battalion) camp at Karan Nagar space of Srinagar by which one CRPF trooper was killed one Policeman was injured.

In the Khanpora, Baramulla assault of May 30, 2018, three civilians have been shot lifeless by LeT militants whereas within the Srinagar assault of June 14, 2018, senior journalist; Editor in Chief of Rising Kashmir, Shujaat Bukhari, and his two Personal Security Officers (PSOs) have been shot by LeT terrorists, the committee stated.

In the Gurez/ Bandipora assault of August 7, 2018, 4 Army troopers together with a Major have been killed as Army foiled a significant infiltration bid by closely armed LeT militants alongside the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez Sector of Bandipora District, Jammu and Kashmir.

What Action Has US Taken Against Makki?

In November 2010, the US Department of the Treasury had designated Makki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. As a results of this designation, amongst different penalties, all property, and pursuits in property, of Makki which might be topic to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US individuals are typically prohibited from participating in any transactions with Makki.

In addition, it is against the law to knowingly present, or try or conspire to supply, materials assist or assets to the FTO LeT, the US stated.

With inputs from PTI

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