Germany initiates move at EU to designate Masood Azhar as global terrorist

Germany has initiated a move at the European Union to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, days after China blocked a bid at the United Nations to ban him.

According to diplomatic sources, Germany was in touch with several member-nations of the European Union to list Azhar as a terrorist which will result in his travel ban as well as the freezing of his assets in the 28-country bloc. 

They said on Wednesday that all 28



member-countries of the European Union will have to support the move to ban the Pakistan-based terrorist as the bloc decides on such issues under the principle of consensus.

The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC was moved by France, the UK and the US, in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. JeM had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama attack.