In September last year, it was learnt that China had put a hold on the proposal to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist and 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks accused Sajid Mir at the UN. Beijing has now blocked the proposal.
China on Tuesday blocked India and the US from designating Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir as a global terrorist. Mir is wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Beijing rejected the US- and India-sponsored motion to name Mir as a global terrorist and subject him to asset freeze, travel restrictions, and a weapons embargo under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.
It was discovered in September of last year that China has delayed the UN designation of Mir. The plan has now been rejected by Beijing. The US has set a $5 million bounty on Mir's head for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Mir, who is thought to be in his mid-40s, is one of India's most wanted terrorists. A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced Mir to more than 15 years in prison in June of last year in a case involving the financing of terrorism.
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In the past, Pakistani authorities had asserted that Mir had passed away, but Western nations had not been persuaded and had demanded proof of his passing. Late last year, when FATF evaluated Pakistan's progress on the action plan, this problem arose as a significant sticking point. Mir, a top LeT member with ties to Pakistan, is wanted in connection with the Mumbai terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008.
"Mir was LeT’s operations manager for the attacks, playing a leading role in their planning, preparation, and execution,” the US State Department has said.
Beijing, an all-weather ally of Islamabad, has repeatedly delayed the blacklisting of terrorists with ties to Pakistan under the UN Security Council's sanctions committee.
According to the US State Department, Mir has been a prominent LeT member since around 2001. In charge of overseeing LeT's external operations from 2006 to 2011, Mir planned and oversaw a number of terrorist actions on the organization's behalf. In addition, between 2008 and 2009, Mir planned a terrorist attack on a newspaper and its staff in Denmark.
Mir was charged in the US in April 2011 for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks.
The US Department of Treasury classified Mir as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in August 2012. All of Mir's assets and interests in assets that are subject to US jurisdiction are barred as a result of this designation, among other repercussions, and US citizens are typically forbidden from conducting any business with Mir.
"Mir is on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists List,” according to information on the State Department website.