India welcomes UN resolution against terror financing, calls Pakistan serial offender

United Nations, Mar 29: The United Nations Security Council on Thursday unanimously passed a French resolution making terrorism financing a serious crime.

Although the topic of terror financing has been addressed in a number of resolutions since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Thursday's measure is the first comprehensive terror financing resolution the body has ever passed.

The resolution demands that individual countries "ensure that their domestic laws and regulations establish [terror financing as] serious criminal offenses."Vladimir Voronkov, the UN's counter terrorism chief, said the resolution "comes at a critical time" as it is clear to all that terrorists are funded through both illegal and legal channels.

India, which has been pushing for action against countries that support terror in its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan, welcomed the move but stressed on effective implementation.

India's permanent representative at the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin has said 'serial offenders' will continue to support terrorism, in a veiled reference to Pakistan.

"Terrorists are going to be more creative in finding ways to violate the rule book also the unfortunate reality is the states which are apologists will continue to provide alibis to justify their actions and inactions to as was done by a serial offender earlier today,"Akbaruddin said .

"We welcome the recognition in the resolution of the essential role of FATF as a saying goes the proof of the pudding is in its eating, the utility of any resolution will, therefore, be in its implementation," he noted.

FATF has put Pakistan in the dock for terror financing and after review, there is a possibility of sanctions to be imposed and Pakistan to be put in greylist.

The resolution came just after a new push at the UNSC for action against Masood Azhar, the chief of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, by the US, Britain and France.