India welcomes UN’s decision of listing Abdul Rehman Makki as global terrorist

On Tuesday, India hailed the United Nations Security Council’s decision to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) deputy head Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist, stating that the country will continue to encourage the international community to take tough measures against terrorism.

Responding to media queries regarding the listing of Makki by UNSC’s ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We welcome the decision of the UN Security Council’s ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee to list Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki, who is also the brother-in-law of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed. Makki has occupied various leadership roles in LeT, including raising funds for the organisation.”

“Threats from terrorist organisations in the region remain high and listings and sanctions by the UNSC, are an effective tool to curb such threats and dismantle terror infrastructure in the region,” he added.

Bagchi stated that India is still committed to following a zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism, and that New Delhi would continue to push the international community to take genuine, verifiable, and irreversible action against terrorism.

On Tuesday, China eventually withdrew its’technical hold’ on Makki’s classification as a global terrorist under the 1267 UN Sanctions Committee, after the country was left isolated in the Security Council.
This listing comes after China put a ‘technical hold’ on India’s petition to designate the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief as a global terrorist last year. In June 2022, India condemned China for blocking a request to include terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki on the Sanctions Committee, commonly known as the UN Security Council 1267 Committee.

“On 16 January 2023, 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 the entry specified below to its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2610 (2021) and adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,” the UN said in a statement.

India and the US have already listed Makki as a terrorist under their domestic laws. He has been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalizing youth to violence and planning attacks in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir.

Makki has performed various leadership roles within the LeT, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), while also playing a role in raising funds for LeT operations.