France to call for UN action against Jaish chief Masood Azhar

New Delhi, Feb 19: France likely to move a proposal at the United Nations in a "couple of days" to designate Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, as a global terrorist, French sources told news agency PTI on Tuesday.

Masood Azhar's Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the suicide car bombing that killed over 40 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama last week.

This will be the second time France will be party to such a proposal at the UN.

In 2017, the US, supported by the UK and France, had moved a proposal at the UN's Sanctions Committee 1267 to ban the chief of the Pakistan-based terror outfit.

However, the proposal was blocked by China. "At the UN, France will lead a proposal to put Masood Azhar on the terrorist list... It will happen in a couple of days," a senior French source told PTI.

The French decision was discussed between Philippe Etienne, Diplomatic Advisor to the French President and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval this morning, French sources told PTI.

While expressing his sincere condolences, the French leader, who called Doval, also emphasised that the two countries should coordinate their diplomatic efforts.