US & key European powers block Sino-Pak move to designate Indian under UN sanctions

The United States, along with the UK, France, Belgium and Germany, blocked Sino-Pakistani efforts to designate an Indian national, Ajoy Mistry, under 1267 sanctions committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Pakistan had initiated a move in the UNSC with China’s support to designate Mistry as a terrorism operative. However, on Thursday, the US and European states foiled the move as Pakistan failed to provide evidence against Mistry, according to people privy to the information. Pakistan had submitted the names of four Indians last year to UNSC for designation under the UNSC’s 1267 sanctions committee, without much evidence, said the people. The US put the nominations on hold, though, pending evidence of their alleged participation in terrorism. “This was also a chance for Pakistan to quietly withdraw the nominations. They did not withdraw nor did they give evidence,” said one of the persons, who did not wish to be identified. Last month, the US had blocked Pakistan’s attempt to nominate another Indian national, Venumadhav Dongara, an engineer who was working on a project in Afghanistan. After the US did not support the Pakistani proposal to target Dongara, Pakistan turned its attention to three others – Ajoy Mistry, Gobinda Patnaik and Angara Appaji. Pakistan alleges that these people were using their work as engineers as cover to provide financial, technical and material support to terrorist groups including TTP, Tariq Gidar Group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. Pakistan had initiated the move to accuse the four Indians in March last year as a retaliation against India’s vigorous efforts to get Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar listed as a designated terrorist, according to the people cited earlier. All the four Indian nationals are now back in the country.