India shamed China in the UNSC meeting by calling its act of blocking the appeal to ban Sajid Mir a game of petty geopolitics. The Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist stands accused by India of being the mastermind of the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. In 2022 China paused a similar proposal by India on Sajid Mir. However, China successfully blocked the current proposal for sanctions on one of the world’s most wanted terrorists for no particular reason.
The US and India had proposed to block Sajid Mir under the UNSC’s 1267 Al Qaida Sanctions Committee as a global terrorist yesterday. The UNSC ban would have frozen all of Sajid’s assets. Moreover, he would have faced a travel ban. And most importantly he would have been denied legal access to military equipment across the globe. China’s move to block the proposal was a typical knee-jerk reaction to any proposal on Pakistan’s home-grown terror industry.
Who is Sajid Mir?
Sajid Mir was a resident of Lahore in Pakistan. He was a senior member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba since 2011. International agencies believe that Sajid ran LeT’s international terror activities. He came into the limelight for converting a French national to Islam and helping him associate with terror groups in Australia. The French national and his associates were deported by Australian authorities and imprisoned by a French court.
Sajid Mir is accused by the Indian Government as the mastermind behind the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008. The Indian government has proof of his conversations with the terrorists for the three-day attack in Mumbai in 2008.
Allegedly Sajid was involved in the terrorist attack against a Denmark newspaper and its employees between 2008 and 2009.
In 2011, the US indicted Sajid for his involvement in the Mumbai terror attack that claimed the life of 3 American citizens. Additionally, the US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice Terror List has put out a reward of $5 million for any information that may lead to his arrest. His active involvement in global terrorist activities has landed Sajid on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists List.
US President Obama’s pressure led Pakistan to convict Sajid to 15 years in jail for terror links and terror financing. The Pakistani authorities claim that Sajid is dead. However, due to the Pakistani government’s complacency with ISIS and LeT; international governments demand proof of death for Sajid Mir.
China’s Petty Geopolitics
China conveniently turns a blind eye to all terrorist activities that originate in Pakistan. It has consistently backed Pakistan on all terror-related issues raised by India in the UNO. India solicits global support to tackle Pakistan’s terror camps and grooming activities. However, China’s stance allows Pakistan-based terror groups to flex their muscles in front of global efforts to curtail terror operations. China’s two-faced politics on terrorism has left Indian envoys to the UN red in the face. It will support Pakistan to be a hotbed of terrorism while it spouts stern policies on domestic and international terrorist activities.
Consequently, India must re-evaluate its ties with China. A primary cause of China’s pushback against India is the current stand-off on border issues. Moreover, China can openly mock India due to India’s dependence on Chinese imports for medical, industrial, and pharmaceutical goods. Furthermore, India’s status as a non-permanent member of the UNSC is a major stumbling block in the rise of India as a global power. Thus, China’s current move of refusing to allow sanctions on Pakistan-based LeT terrorists should ring alarm bells in the Indian Government. The government should make real efforts to become a global power of reckoning. Else China will continue to smirk and enjoy India’s discomfort and humiliation on an international platform.