France to move proposal at UN to ban JeM chief Masood Azhar

French sources said on Tuesday that France will move a proposal at the United Nations in a “couple of days” to ban global terrorist Masood Azhar, chief of the United Nations-proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

The said group, JeM, claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel.

While speaking to ANI on France about the proposal at the United Nations, Ambassador of France to India Alexandre Ziegler said, “We are very much pushing in to that direction. It has been two years that we are trying to put him on the United Nations (UN) sanction list.”

This will be the second time France will be party to such a proposal at the U.N. In 2017, the U.S., supported by the U.K. and France, moved a proposal at the U.N.’s Sanctions Committee 1267 to ban the chief of the Pakistan-based terror outfit. However, the proposal was blocked by China.

The French decision was expressed when Philippe Etienne, diplomatic advisor to the French president, telephoned National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Tuesday.

While expressing his sincere condolences, the French officer also emphasised that the two countries should coordinate their diplomatic efforts.

Besides UN, France will continue to push hard at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) so that Pakistan is not let off the hook, sources said. India is pushing to blacklist Pakistan over terror funding at the ongoing FATF plenary meeting. Pakistan is currently on the FATF grey list.