Modi govt should have acted faster on Masood Azhar: Congress

Terming the designation of Masood as a global terrorist as just the first step, the Congress demanded that the Modi Government pursue a complete international ban on Jaish-e-Mohammad and also that other terrorists of JeM are similarly blacklisted by UN, that the Modi Government pursue the ‘Black Listing’ of Pakistan as a terrorist state by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and that it should now push for a declaration of bounty on the head Masood Azhar as was ensured by UPA- Congress in the case of Hafiz Saeed by getting a bounty declared on his head.

In a statement issued here, AICC media incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "Pakistan based Masood Azhar’s belated declaration as a global terrorist by the UN is surely a welcome step. Designation as a global terrorist is just the first step. All his sources of funding needs to be stopped. The entire property and terror fund needs to be taken over by international agencies.

"Pakistan must be forced to dismantle the entire terror infrastructure of Jaish-e-Mohammad, as also other terrorist outfits operating from its soil. All wanted terrorists like Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim, Haji Mohammad Yahya Mujahid, Abdul Salaam and Zafar Iqbal thriving on Pakistani soil and involved in heinous terror attacks in India must be forthwith deported to India and brought to justice."

"Congress party demands that the Modi Government pursues a complete international ban on Jaish-e-Mohammad and also ensure that other terrorists of JeM are similarly blacklisted by UN. It demands the government to pursue the black listing of Pakistan as a terrorist state by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The Modi government should now push for a declaration of bounty on the head Masood Azhar as was ensured by UPA- Congress in the case of Hafiz Saeed by getting a bounty declared on his head,’’ Surjewala said.

Charging the Modi Government of compromising with national security and acting at a slow speed in pursuing the declaration of Masood Azhar, Mr Surjewala said: "We expected the Modi government to act a greater speed in pursuing the declaration of Masood Azhar, but after the agendaless visit of PM Modi to China (Wuhan Summit) they did not push for this case with China in the entire period of 2018. Several precious lives in terror attacks like Pulwama could have been avoided if the Modi government had pushed international community, including China to agree to declaration of Masood Azhar as international terrorist.

"History is dotted with BJP’s compromise of national security in tackling terrorism, which is reflected in actions like the release of Maulana Masood Azhar, Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar and Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh in Kandahar, Afghanistan by the previous BJP Government. It is the same terrorist Masood Azhar who heads Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan and fomented terror on Indian soil every day," he said.

In contrast to the BJP Government, he said that Congress party’s commitment to end terrorism is absolute.

"After the 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks, UPA-Congress Government’s response was to isolate and diplomatically expose Pakistan as a terror hub, besides rallying the international community for decisive action against terrorists. Within 14 days of the Mumbai Attack, we got China to agree to declare Hafiz Saeed as a global terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of UN.

Congress-UPA ensured that a 10 million UK pounds bounty was placed on the head of the Mumbai attack perpetrator and the founder of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hafiz Saeed by America. Another mastermind, David Headley was convicted to 35 years of prison during UPA-Congress Govt in 2013. The UN Security Council also put top LeT members involved in Mumbai attack on sanctions lists as terrorists. This has virtually rendered LeT ineffective today. We made counterterrorism cooperation in the international community against the LeT more effective. Countries like Saudi Arabia and even China co-operated to a great deal. Several terrorists were arrested and deported to India, as they travelled outside Pakistan," he said.

"We hope that PM Modi would have noted and acted at certain pressing issues that have repeatedly compromised India’s interests," he said.

Marking a big diplomatic victory for India, the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday placed Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar in its sanctions list.

"The Security Council Committee 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 [Masood Azhar] to its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List," the UN committee said.

India had been making persistent efforts to designate Masood Azhar as global terrorist and the latest move was reiterated after the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, claimed by JeM, on a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force which killed 40 CRPF personnel.