India sees chance to nail Pakistan over JuD issue

NEW DELHI: After Pakistan on Thursday ruled out the possibility of declaring Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) as a proscribed organization for lack of evidence, an unsurprised Indian security establishment said it would only make things difficult for Islamabad in various international forums and give India another diplomatic handle to embarrass it globally.
Sources said given that JuD is on the list of entities facing sanctions under the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution No. 1267 as an organization associated with al-Qaida, not banning it will automatically put Pakistan in the "non-compliance" category.

This will not only isolate Pakistan in international forums such as Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and UNSC, but could also have financial implications for the country in the long run. "The more brazen Pakistan becomes on the issue, the easier it will be for India to corner it on the issue of terrorism. If appropriate atmosphere is created diplomatically, it could also lead to economic sanctions on it," said a home ministry official.

UNSC put JuD as an alias of LeT under sanction in 2008. Compliance of this sanction required Pakistan to freeze JuD's assets, put a travel ban on its members and enforce an arms embargo. Sources say while Pakistan has been telling UN that it is complying with all the sanctions imposed, nothing has happened on the ground. It is also evident from the free movement of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed despite being under UN sanction and facing $10 million US bounty. The organization has also continued to receive funds, even from Pakistan government, despite being under sanction.

India recently cornered Pakistan on this non-compliance at an international meet organized in Australia by FATF. Despite China standing in support of Pakistan, India managed to bring Pakistan under the monitoring of the Asia Pacific Group to enforce UN sanctions. Sources said even now it's China which is likely to stand by Pakistan as international community puts pressure on it to act.

"But if Pakistan keeps violating UN sanctions with such impunity and its stock vis a vis fighting terrorism keeps falling in the international arena, after a point it will be difficult for even China to defend it," said the official.

In January this year, media reports indicated that Pakistan had banned JuD along with Haqqani Network under pressure from the US in the aftermath of the Peshawar attack.

However, Gen (retired) Abdul Qadir Baloch, minister for states and frontier regions, Pakistan, told the Upper House of the country on behalf of interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday that the organization is merely under watch since Nov 15, 2003 and had not been declared proscribed. He said UN had not provided any evidence that it was linked to LeT.