Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi
French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler today said more trouble was in store for the globally blacklisted Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as his blacklisting by the European Union was in the works.
Azhar’s blacklisting by the EU will mount more pressure on Pakistan to undertake visible and verifiable action of freezing his funds flow as well as limiting his public appearances. The EU blacklisting is a much more arduous process after a European court nullified the implementation of the sanctions regime against a similarly UNSC-blacklisted terrorist for violation of constitutionally protected rights.
To the UNSC blacklisting of Azhar, Zeigler said: “It’s very good news for the world community and India as well that the world reached a consensus.”
France has been in the forefront of a push by three global powers, including the US and the UK, to arraign Azhar in the face of a determined pushback by China, a close Pakistani ally. France had adopted national sanctions much before the UNSC consensus to blacklist Azhar.
“For many years, French diplomacy has been pleading for sanctioning Azhar, head of the terrorist group responsible, notably, for the Pulwama attack,” Zeigler had said after news broke on May 1 about China relinquishing its hold on Azhar’s blacklisting. France would be hoping to build on political proximity with India to advance strategic ties.
