"Victory for US diplomacy," US State Secy Mike Pompeo after Masood Azhar's UN listing

The White House has said that the listing demonstrates the international commitment to rooting out terrorism in Pakistan and bringing security and stability to South Asia.

Mike Pompeo (Source Image: AFP)

New Delhi: The United States has welcomed the designation of Masood Azhar the chief of Pakistan-based proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has welcomed the move and said that it is a victory for the American diplomacy and the international community against terrorism. At the same time, he also congratulated the US mission in the UN which took the lead in America's diplomatic effort to designate Azhar as a global terrorist. "Congrats to US Mission to the UN for their work in negotiating JeM's Masood Azhar's UN designation as a terrorist. This long-awaited action is a victory for American diplomacy and the international community against terrorism, and an important step towards peace in South Asia,” he tweeted.

Congrats to our team @USUN for their work in negotiating JEM's Masood Azhar's #UN designation as a terrorist. This long-awaited action is a victory for American diplomacy and the international community against terrorism, and an important step towards peace in South Asia.

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) May 2, 2019

The White House has said that the listing demonstrates the international commitment to rooting out terrorism in Pakistan and bringing security and stability to South Asia. China finally lifted its nearly 10-year technical hold on such an effort by India, the United States and other permanent members of the Security Council including Britain and France Spokesperson for US Mission in the United Nations said:  “US welcomes the addition of Masood Azhar to UN 1267 list. This listing requires all UN member states to implement an assets freeze, a travel ban, and an arms embargo against Azhar. We expect all countries to uphold these obligations.” Reacting to the development, Garrett Marquis, spokesperson of the National Security Council, White House said: "Designating Azhar demonstrates international commitment to rooting out terrorism in Pakistan and bringing security and stability to South Asia Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said that the JeM has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks and is a serious threat to regional stability and peace in South Asia. "The JeM was designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in 2001 and has been listed by the UN since 2001," she said. The spokesperson said that the US looks forward to further and sustained actions from Pakistan as outlined in its National Action Plan consistent with its international obligations. The US, France along with the UK had moved the proposal to designate Azhar as a "global terrorist" in the UN Security Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee in February, just days after the deadly Pulwama terror attack. But China a veto-wielding member of then committee had put last minute technical hold on the proposal