Pakistan issues order to freeze assets of JeM chief Masood Azhar, impose travel ban

Two days after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) designated Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a ‘global terrorist’, Pakistan issued an official order to freeze the assets of and impose a travel ban on the JeM chief, reported PTI. Pakistan-based Azhar is also banned from selling or purchasing arms and ammunition.

Two days after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) designated Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a ‘global terrorist’, Pakistan issued an official order to freeze the assets of and impose a travel ban on the JeM chief, reported PTI. Pakistan-based Azhar is also banned from selling or purchasing arms and ammunition.

The Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) ordered all non-banking financial institutions and regulating authorities on Thursday to block all investment accounts of Masood Azhar, according to PTI. The SECP ordered that all companies should scan their data and inform the SECP within three days about the necessary action being taken against the accounts of Azhar.

Masood Azhar blacklisted: Beijing says it studied revised material, decided to end objections

The UN sanctions committee on the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda on Wednesday announced the designation of Azhar, leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), over its ties to Al-Qaeda. The JeM has claimed responsibility for the Pulwama suicide attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers and eventually led to a momentary spike in military tensions between two nuclear-powered nations.

An official of the interior ministry told PTI that Azhar was already on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorist Act (ATA) and could not travel without the permission of the police. He was also barred from having any weapons due to the listing under the ATA.

His name was also already on the list of proscribed persons maintained by the National Anti-Terrorist Authority (NACTA).

Subsequently, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said Islamabad would fully cooperate with the international community. Pakistan’s foreign ministry, in a notification issued Wednesday said: “the Federal Government is pleased to order that the Resolution 2368 (2017) be fully implemented” against Azhar.

As per the notification, the government directed officials to take actions “as appropriate for the implementation of sanctions” against Azhar.

The UN designated Azhar as a ‘global terrorist’ after China lifted its technical hold on a proposal by the US, the UK and France to blacklist him. The US, the UK and France had moved the proposal to designate Azhar as a “global terrorist” in the UN Security Council’s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee in February, just days after the deadly Pulwama terror attack carried out by the JeM in Jammu and Kashmir.

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