Germany proposes EU-wide ban on Masood Azhar after France freezes his assets

Proposal requires consensus but if it does go through, it will result in a travel ban and freezing of Jaish chief Masood Azhar's assets in 28 European countries.

File image of JeM chief Masood Azhar | Commons

New Delhi: Germany has floated a proposal in Brussels to get all 28 member countries of the European Union (EU) to label Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar as an international terrorist, a German diplomat has told ThePrint.

The development comes in the wake of France having already frozen his assets.

“Discussions are going on with the EU,” Hans Christian Winkler, spokesperson and head of public diplomacy at the German Embassy in India, told ThePrint. “Germany is part of the process with other countries. Negotiations are ongoing at Brussels.”

Brussels is the headquarters of the EU and as per European Commission laws, every step that a member country takes in its foreign policy should have a consensus among all the members.

Diplomatic sources of other European countries, meanwhile, said that they are all part of the proposal and a decision will be arrived at soon.

Label will lead to ban, freezing of assets

If the proposal goes through, Azhar will be recognised as an international terrorist across all the 28 countries of the EU. He will face a travel ban and freezing of his assets there, if there are any, sources said.

This comes close on the heels of the Emmanuel Macron administration’s decision to freeze Azhar’s assets in France.

The recent actions by the European countries come after China put on hold a decision to ban the JeM chief and list him as a global terrorist at the UN 1267 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.

After the 14 February Pulwama terror attack — which was claimed by the JeM — the US, UK and France had forwarded a proposal at the UN to ban Azhar. But with China’s having blocked the process, it has been delayed by another six to nine months. If China does not lift the ban within this period, then the proposal will be null and void.

Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui Sunday said that the matter will be resolved and that Beijing needs more time to consult with countries.

This is the fourth such move by China. It has thrice blocked the proposal to ban Azhar — in 2009, 2016 and 2017.

India has said it will continue to push China to agree to designate Azhar as a global terrorist.