India welcomes UNSC sanctions on Haqqani network

, Nov 7: India on Wednesday welcomed the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council against

-based Haqqani militant network and its chief of suicide operations and said the international community has to be united in its efforts to isolate such

groups which threaten peace and security.

"India welcomes the move by the UN Security Council to list the Haqqani Network among the entities that now face an asset freeze, a travel ban and an arms embargo. This Group has also targetted Indian interests in the past. The international community has to be united in its efforts to isolate such terror groups which threaten peace and security in our region and other parts of the world," official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The UNSC, under India's presidency, has imposed global sanctions against the dreaded Pakistan-based Haqqani militant network and the group's chief of suicide operations. The Council's Afghanistan/Taliban Sanctions Committee also added the group and Qari Zakir to its list of entities which face an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

The move comes on the same day the US State Department designated Zakir as a "global terrorist" and imposed financial sanctions against him. The process to impose sanctions was initiated on Oct 18 when a 'no objection' document was circulated among the members of the UNSC and the Sanctions Committee, of which Pakistan is also currently a member, for their comments. Finally, the global body cleared the sanction procedure on Nov 5 after it received no objection on the process from any of the members. The UN sanctions list now contains 131 individuals and three entities.

PTI