Declare Masood Azhar global terrorist: India to urge China

Bengaluru, Jan 13: India is likely to urge China in a bid to have Maulana Masood Azhar and his brother Abdul Rauf Asghar as international terrorists. No amount of probe by Pakistan would be satisfactory if the two brothers who run the Jaish-e-Mohammad roam around freely, an Indian official told OneIndia.

Maulana Masood Azhar who was once in Indian custody was released in exchange for the hostages during the Khandahar hijack. While Masood is the ideological head of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, his brother Rauf is the operations chief.

Both had in the mid 2000s fallen out of favour with the Pakistan establishment, but were resurrected following the intervention of former Pakistan army chief, General Asfhaq Kayani.

Act against Jaish-e-Mohammad chief

Asking Pakistan to take concrete action against Masood and his brother would be like asking for the moon. India too realises that there is a part of the establishment which will go all out to protect him like they do in the case of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief, Hafiz Saeed.

India feels that urging China to seek action against the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief and his brother for their direct role in the Pathankot attack would be a valid move. India has been gathering evidence against the brothers and is likely to present it before China.

We hope that China which had condemned in strong word the Pathankot attack will help in taking action against Masood and Rauf an official informed.

Indian officials say that they hope that China would change their stand on Masood. In the year 2010 when India has sought to impose sanctions on Masood, it was not considered by China on the ground that there was more evidence required. India would urge China with concrete evidence this time to declare Masood a global terrorist, officials also said.

In addition to this India will also bring up the functioning of the al-Rahmat trust which is the financial front of the Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Although the US has proscribed this trust for aiding terror, it continues to operate through valid channels in Pakistan.The trust is notorious for funding the Jaish-e-Mohammad and also running publications which convey anti India messages.

OneIndia News