In yet another diplomatic victory for India, it has been reported that as per diplomatic sources, Germany has initiated a move at the European Union to designate Jaish e Mohammed (JeM) chief, Maulana Masood Azhar as an international terrorist. The sources stated that Germany was in touch with several member nations of the European Union in order to designate Maulana Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. Once declared a global terrorist, the move will have certain far-reaching consequences. It will result in his travel ban and freezing of his assets in the 28 countries of the European Union. Germany has floated a proposal to designate Azhar as a global terrorist though no resolution has been moved as of now. All 28 countries of the bloc will have to support the move as the bloc decides on such issues on the basis of consensus.
This move has come days after the French government imposed sanctions on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, including a freeze on his assets. French Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs, the French Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the French Ministry of the Interior announced in a joint statement that apart from freezing Maulana Masood Azhar’s assets, France will also discuss the prospects of putting Azhar on a European Union list of terrorists and terror organizations. The statement from the French government read, “We will raise this issue with our European partners with a view to including Masood Azhar on the European Union list of persons, groups, and entities involved in terrorist acts, based on this decree.”
The fact that Germany and France have come out in India’s support is a major diplomatic breakthrough for India. It becomes that much more significant because Germany and France took this stance few days after China blocked a UNSC move to designate Maulana Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. However, now it is clear that China and Pakistan cannot really protect Azhar by blocking a UNSC move. Pakistan terror establishment would have been breathing a little easily after China vetoed the UNSC move to ban Masood Azhar. However, the proposal to ban Masood Azhar at the European Union has reignited the diplomatic offensive against the terrorist nation.
Pakistan cannot get away by seeking support from China. UNSC is not the only supranational forum. India has warm and friendly nations with countries across the globe and therefore Pakistan faces the danger of being isolated at several platforms. India continues to humiliate Pakistan diplomatically and there is not much the terrorist country can do about it.