India demands UN sanctions against new Taliban leader Akhundzada

United Nations: India has demanded that the UN slap sanctions against the new Taliban leader in Afghanistan, saying it is “sheer folly” that the leader of a proscribed entity is not yet designated as a terrorist individual. “It is sheer folly that the leader of a proscribed entity is not yet designated as a terrorist individual,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said at a Security Council debate on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) here yesterday. Supporting New Zealand’s position that the anamoly should be corrected, Akbaruddin said the new Taliban leader should be sanctioned. The Taliban had named Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, a conservative cleric in his 50s, as its new leader after Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in an American drone strike last month. US State Department’s deputy spokesperson Mark Toner had said in a press briefing then that Akhundzada was not on any kind of a terrorist designated list. [caption id=“attachment_2848912” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. News18[/caption] Akbaruddin further emphasised that groups and individuals perpetrating violence against the people and government of Afghanistan cannot have safe havens and should not be allowed to exercise control and wield influence over any part of Afghanistan’s territory. “This, in our view, is critical for lasting peace in the country,” he said adding that effective implementation of the Security Council sanctions regime including the 1267 ISIL/Al-Qaeda Sanctions and 1988 Taliban’s regime should also be carried out “consistently and with perseverance” for it to serve as a strong deterrent to the listed entities and individuals. Previously, India has slammed the UN sanctions committee for taking a “selective approach” in tackling terrorism when a technical hold was put on its application to include the name of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar on the committee’s list of designated terrorists. India had said in April that it finds it “incomprehensible” that while the Pakistan-based JeM was listed in the UN Security Council Committee as far back as 2001 for its known terror activities and links to Al-Qaeda, the designation of the group’s main leader, financier and motivator has been put on a technical hold. Akbaruddin stressed that the Security Council needs to look into the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the means to contain it as it could pose serious threats to the gains made by the people of Afghanistan in the last 15 years. While there has been no dearth of efforts by the Afghan government and its citizens as well as by the international community, Akbaruddin voiced concern over the deteriorating security situation in the war-torn country. “The Taliban are continuing attacks at an unprecedented rate since the beginning of the year and there is continued violence by other armed groups,” he said as he cited the UN Secretary General’s report that armed clashes have increased this year compared to the same period in 2015. “This situation has put renewed focus on the need for enhanced engagement and action by the international community,” he added. Akbaruddin reiterated India’s believe that the path to reconciliation in Afghanistan should be through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process respecting the red lines drawn by the country’s people and the international community, especially the ones regarding giving up of violence and abiding by the Constitution of Afghanistan. He voiced India’s commitment to help Afghanistan strengthen its defence capabilities to preserve its unity and territorial integrity, saying it is the “most important antidote” to the worsening security situation in the country. The Indian envoy also condoled the loss of lives and property in the bomb attack in Kabul on 20 June in which around 20 people including from Nepal and India lost their lives. Referring to the inauguration of the Afghanistan-India Friendship Dam, Akbaruddin quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that while India’s capacity may be limited but its commitment to Afghanistan is without limits. “We are strongly committed to supporting Afghanistan in various plurilateral and multilateral fora,” he said adding that India looks forward to hosting the ‘Heart of Asia’ Ministerial Conference in December 2016.