The United States on Thursday backed India’s move to declare Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Masood Azhar, Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Dawood Ibrahim as terrorists under a new law.
Amnesty International Launches Global Campaign #LetKashmirSpeak
The US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs quoted Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Ambassador Alice Wells as saying that the US stood with India on the matter.
“We stand [with] India [and] commend it for utilising new legal authorities to designate 4 notorious terrorists: Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi & Dawood Ibrahim. This new law expands possibilities for joint US-India efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism.”
We stand w/ #India & commend it for utilizing new legal authorities to designate 4 notorious terrorists: Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi & Dawood Ibrahim. This new law expands possibilities for joint #USIndia efforts to combat scourge of terrorism. AGW
— State_SCA (@State_SCA) September 4, 2019
The statement comes a day after India’s Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification declaring the four as ‘terrorists’ under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, the Hindu reported.
Saeed is already under detention while Lakhvi is out on post-arrest bail. Earlier this year, Pakistan confirmed sanctions on Azhar when the United Nations’ 1267 Sanctions Committee placed him on its global terror list after China removed its objection to his listing.
