Few Facts about Masood Azhar who is Designated Global Terrorist by UN atlast!

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday, May 1, designated Pakistan based terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as global terrorist.

The designation brought an end to India’s long struggle to get Azhar under the category. India has been trying to get Masood Azhar declared a global terrorist from the year 2009 itself.

The effort intensified after the Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack which resulted in the loss of lives of over 40 Indian CRPF personnel on February 14, 2019.

The United Nations mentioned the reason for listing of Masood Azhar and stated on its website that, “Mohammad Masood Azhar Alvi was listed on 1 May 2019 pursuant to paragraphs 2 and 4 of resolution 2368 (2017) as being associated with Al-Qaida for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of”, “supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material to”, “recruiting for”, “otherwise supporting acts or activities of”, and “other acts or activities indicating association with.”

Masood Azhar formed the terrorists organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) after he was released from prison in India in the year 1999.

In order to get Azhar released, terrorists had hijacked an Indian Airlines flight to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Azhar was released from prison in exchange for 155 hostages.

Azhar also provides the financial backing to the JeM, said UN’s report. The UN Security Council had listed JEM on October 17, 2001, as being associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden, and the Taliban for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of”, “supplying, selling or transferring arms and related materiel to” or “otherwise supporting acts or activities of” Al-Qaida (QDe.004), Usama bin Laden and the Taliban.”

A UNSC designation will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo.

An assets freeze under the sanctions committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities, said reports.

Who is Masood Azhar?

Reports of Masood Azhar’s origins says that he was born in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan on July 10, 1968. There’s conflict about that as well as some sources suggest he was born on August 7, 1968. Azhar is a son of former headmaster at government-run school and his family was also involved in running a dairy and poultry farm.

Masood Azhar, after dropping out of school early, joined the Jamia Uloom Islamic school and graduated from there in the year 1989. He earned the title of an Alim and became a teacher.

Some years later, Azhar was enrolled for a Jihad-training camp at Afghanistan by Harkat-ul-Ansar. He also participated in the Soviet Afghan war but abandoned it after suffering injuries, said reports. He then took over the editorial responsibility of Urdu-language magazine Sad’e Mujahidin and the Arabic-language Sawte Kashmir.

In early 1994, Azhar entered Srinagar, India, under a fake identity, to improve relations between Harkat-ul-Ansar’s feuding factions of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. However, he was arrested by India in February from Khanabal near Anantnag and was imprisoned for terrorist activities with the groups. After his arrest, he is reported to have said that, “Soldiers of Islam have come from 12 countries to liberate Kashmir. We will answer your carbines with rocket launchers”.

But four years later, in December 1999, an Indian Airlines Flight 814 (IC814) en route from Kathmandu in Nepal to New Delhi was hijacked and eventually landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan after being flown to multiple locations.

The hijackers, which involved Masood Azhar’s brothers, demanded release of Azhar in exchange of the 155 passengers who were taken hostage. Azhar was finally released from the Kot Bhalwal jail and was seen giving speeches against India in Karachi shortly after his release.