Masood Azhar linked to both ISIS and Al-Qaeda says former envoy to Pakistan

New Delhi, May 04: Former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale said here Friday that India succeeded in establishing strong links between Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar and al-Qaeda and Islamic State, leading to his designation as a "international terrorist".

Bambawale was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a lecture at Pune International Center here. "The listing and designation of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is a big diplomatic win for India.

"It is also a big victory for other countries like France, United States,United Kingdom who helped us," he said. "While deciding on listing a particular terrorist as a global terrorist, the 1267 committee the UNSC looks for linkage between the terrorist and IS and al Qaeda and in Azhar's case, India did exactly the same.

"It showed a strong linkage between Azhar and IS and Azhar with al-Qaeda," he said. There is no need to give evidence that a particular terrorist has done something in Kashmir or against India when seeking to designate him as an international terrorist, he said.

Asked how Pakistan is expected to react to the development, he said Pakistan could be very disappointed that China did not back it and allowed the listing to happen. "But the more important (thing) is the international community should get Pakistan to apply all the rules and regulations on Azhar," he said.

Talking about China's role in the listing of Azhar, he said this is a lesson in diplomacy for Indians that "even if China wants to oppose certain things which we want to do, there are ways to out-fly China and get our objective".