With concerns over Pak terrorists, India abstains from UNSC resolution on humanitarian carve-outs

With concerns over Pakistani terrorists, India has abstained from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution that creates a humanitarian carve out under UN sanction regimes.

India's ambassador to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj in Explanation of Vote said New Delhi's "concerns emanate from proven instances of terrorist groups taking full advantage of such humanitarian carve-outs, and making a mockery of sanction regimes, including that of the 1267 Sanctions Committee."

A number of Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Jaish-e-Mohammed and their leaders like Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, and Maulana Masood Azhar, are responsible for major terror attacks in India like the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, 2019 Pulwama terror attack, 2016 Uri attack, have been listed under the UN's 1267 committee.

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Resolution 2664 will apply to terrorists listed under the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida sanctions regime and Al Qaida sanctions regime of the UNs for a period of two years.

The Indian ambassador called for "caution and due diligence to be exercised while extending humanitarian assistance to proscribed entities under 1267" and pointed out that they "continue to thrive with full state hospitality in territories universally acknowledged as terrorist havens by the international community." Islamabad has been seen not very keen on taking action on terrorists on its territory including perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

The Indian ambassador explained that there have been "several cases of terrorist groups in our neighbourhood, including those listed by this Council, re-incarnating themselves as humanitarian organisations and civil society groups precisely to evade these sanctions.These terrorist organisations use the umbrella of the humanitarian assistance space to raise funds and recruit fighters."

The remark can be seen as a reference to the Pakistan-based Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, a charity organisation established by UN Listed Hafiz Saeed and seen as another front of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

India was the only country to abstain from the 15-member Security Council. The other 14 members of the council voted for the resolution. The humanitarian carve-out basically provides an exemption in the relation to the asset freeze measures imposed by the UN sanctions regime. The resolution was introduced by the US and Ireland.

Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj in her remarks also said that "under no circumstances, the garb of humanitarian cover intended to be provided by these exemptions, should be misused by proscribed terrorist groups to expand their terror activities in the region and beyond" and such exemptions must not "facilitate mainstreaming of terror entities in the political space in our region."

A number of front organisations of UN-listed terror groups in Pakistan, like the Milli Muslim League had sprung up in 2017-2018 during Pakistani general elections, a development that raised eyebrows about terror entities taking part in the political process.

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