India approaches UNSC panel on Lakhvi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan doesn’t seem unduly worried about the assurance of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) committee to India that it will take up the issue of the Mumbai terror attack’s alleged mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in its next meeting.
Pakistan’s position is that it is under no obligation to keep a proscribed individual under arrest or behind bars.“The Sanctions Committee interacts with governments from around the world on the implementation of UNSC resolutions on counterterrorism. Any country can approach the committee for listing or with regard to proscribed entities and individuals,” the Foreign Office spokesperson told The News.
Lakhvi was freed on April 9 when the Lahore High Court (LHC) ruled that his detention orders were illegal and after which Lakhvi submitted surety bonds of Rs2 million.His is an ongoing trial since 2009 and voices both inside and out of Pakistan have demanded that the Mumbai trial should be put on the fast track.
The PTI reported from New York that India expressed concern that the LeT commander’s release from a Pakistani jail violated the provisions of the global body and hence saw India’s Ambassador to the UN Asoke Mukerji writing to the Chair of the UNSC al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Jim McLay.
Acknowledging India’s concerns, McLay has responded to India’s letter and assured that the matter will be discussed at the next meeting of the committee.Mukerji expressed concern over Lakhvi’s release and said it violates the provisions of the committee concerning al-Qaeda and associated individuals and entities.
India also pointed out that as a listed terrorist, Lakhvi can neither receive nor give money since all his assets and financial resources have to be frozen. Any bail money posted for Lakhvi is also a violation of the provisions of sanctions committee since he is a listed terrorist.
However, the Foreign Office spokesperson clarified: “Proscription entails three things: freezing of bank accounts or fundraising, international travel ban and arms embargo”.She added that governments were not required to arrest or keep proscribed individuals behind bars and many reports on the issue are “speculative”.