India to push UN to include Masood Azhar on terrorist list

New Delhi: India will push the UN to include the name of Masood Azhar, leader of the proscribed Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist group, in its list of designated terrorists, an external affairs ministry official said on Thursday.

This comes after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed the parliament on Wednesday that India on February 18 submitted the names of 11 individuals and one organisation to the UN's Islamic State (IS) and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.

"I can confirm to you that we will be moving the 1267 committee to also include the name of Masood Azhar on the sanctions list," external affairs ministry Vikas Swarup said at a media briefing.

"It is a matter of great anomaly that the organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed is listed but not its leader," he added.

The JeM had claimed responsibility for the January 2 cross-border terror attack on the Pathankot Indian Air Force base that claimed the lives of seven Indian security personnel.

The attack had thrown the proposed foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan, originally scheduled in the middle of January, off the rails with New Delhi seeking action from Islamabad against those involved in the attack.

Pakistan has since lodged an FIR without naming any person and said that it would send a special investigation team (SIT) to India to probe the attack.

Asked the names of the 11 individuals India has submitted to the UN, Swarup said that it would not be prudent to do so now as it was part of a process being followed.

Asked about the fate of the foreign secretary-level talks, he said that India was awaiting the composition and itinerary of the visit of Pakistan's proposed SIT.

Regarding comments on television by Sartaj Aziz, advisor on foreign affairs to the Pakistani prime minister, that the SIT would need to access certain parts of the Pathankot airbase, the spokesman said once India got the list of the composition of the SIT and the dates finalised for the visit, then the agencies concerned on both sides would take up such issues.