The US, UK and France have moved a fresh proposal at the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based terror group JeM’s chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo.

The proposal was moved on February 27 by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation UNSC. The Security Council Sanctions Committee will have 10 working days to consider the proposal.

It is the fourth such bid at the UN in the past 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist.

An assets freeze under the Sanctions Committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities.

The travel ban entails preventing the entry into or transit by all states through their territories by designated individuals. Under the arms embargo, all states are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer from their territories or by their nationals outside their territories, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types, spare parts, and technical advice, assistance, or training related to military activities, to designated individuals and entities.

In 2009, India moved a proposal to ban Azhar. In 2016 again, India moved the proposal with the P3 - the US, UK and France - in the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January 2016.

In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UNSC, blocked India’s proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee.

It remains to be seen how China will vote on the proposal this time. China, a close ally of Pakistan, has consistently blocked moves first by India and later by the US, UK and France to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by putting technical holds.

France assumes the crucial rotating presidency of the UNSC in March.

The French presidency comes after the 15-nation UN organ under the presidency of Equatorial Guinea had issued a highly significant press statement strongly condemning the Pulwama terror attack.

China had to sign off on the February 21 UNSC press statement that “condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in over 40 Indian paramilitary forces dead and dozens wounded on February 14, 2019, for which Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility”.

The UNSC press statement was seen not only as a strong condemnation of terror against India but also of international solidarity with New Delhi in its fight against terrorism.

India has strongly reiterated its appeal to all members of the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including Azhar, as designated terrorists under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UNSC, and to ban terrorist organisations operating from territories controlled by Pakistan.

In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief.