The latest report of the United Nations Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Monitoring Committee has recorded, for the first time, that Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad had a direct link to the terrorist attack on Delhi’s Red Fort.
According to the report, the disclosure weakens Pakistan’s longstanding position at international forums that militant organisations operating from its territory are no longer active.
The report states that Jaish-e-Mohammad has continued to be involved in terrorist activities against India and has sought to strengthen its network and influence. It notes that the group has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in recent years.
The report records that a member state shared information indicating that the November 9 attack on the Red Fort was directly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad. The attack resulted in the deaths of 15 people. The inclusion of this reference in the Security Council report aligns with India’s position raised at international forums regarding cross-border terrorism.
The report further states that Jaish-e-Mohammad is not limiting itself to conventional organisational structures and is working on new methods to expand its operational capacity. According to the report, the group has worked on plans to establish a women-only wing.
The proposed wing, identified as “Jamaat-ul-Muminat,” was formally announced on October 8 by Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar Alvi. The report states that the purpose of the wing is to provide logistical support to terrorist activities and to strengthen the organisation’s outreach.
Pakistan formally objected to the inclusion of Jaish-e-Mohammad in the report, stating that the organisation is inactive and does not maintain an operational network. Other members of the Security Council did not accept Pakistan’s position, and the reference to Jaish-e-Mohammad remained in the final report.
The report also addresses Pakistan’s position regarding the Balochistan Liberation Army. Pakistan sought to link the Balochistan Liberation Army with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and to associate it with Al-Qaida or ISIL in order to have it included in the 1267 sanctions list.
The report states that some member states assessed that the Balochistan Liberation Army does not have direct links with either Al-Qaida or ISIL. As a result, the argument for its inclusion under the 1267 sanctions regime was not accepted.
The report acknowledges that the Balochistan Liberation Army carried out an ambush on a convoy linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, resulting in the deaths of 32 Pakistani soldiers. However, it states that there is insufficient evidence to establish operational links between the group and global terrorist organisations under the 1267 framework.
