China blocks proposal to declare 26/11 attacks accused Sajid Mir global terrorist

Tags: International News

China has blocked a proposal by India and the U.S. at the United Nations to designate Sajid Mir, a Pakistan-based LeT terrorist, as a global terrorist on 20th June. 

An overview of the news

• The proposal aimed to blacklist Mir under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, subjecting him to asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo.

Involvement in Mumbai Terror Attacks

• Sajid Mir is wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, which took place in November 2008. 

• He is considered one of India's most wanted terrorists, with a bounty of 5 million US dollars placed on his head by the U.S.

China's Obstruction

• China had previously put a hold on the proposal to designate Mir at the UN in September of the previous year. 

• However, Beijing has now officially blocked the proposal, preventing his designation as a global terrorist.

Imprisonment and Doubts

• In June, Sajid Mir was sentenced to over 15 years in jail in a terror-financing case by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan. 

• Previously, Pakistani authorities had claimed that Mir had died, but Western countries remained unconvinced and demanded proof of his death. 

• This issue became a significant concern during the Financial Action Task Force's assessment of Pakistan's progress on their action plan.

Role in Mumbai Attacks

• Mir is a senior member of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist organization. 

• The U.S. State Department has stated that he was LeT's operations manager for the Mumbai attacks, playing a leading role in planning, preparing, and executing the terrorist acts.