Owaisi questions PM Modi over Masood Azhar's ban; asks why no mention of Pulwama in UNSC statement

AIMIM chief Owaisi said that the UNSC statement declaring Massod Azhar a global terrorist has no mention of Pulwama, Uri and Pathankot terror attacks.

HYDERABAD: All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made 'compromises' in order to get Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar declared global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council.

Addressing a press conference, Owaisi, who is the sitting MP from Hyderabad, said that the UNSC statement declaring Massod Azhar a global terrorist has no mention of Pulwama, Uri and Pathankot terror attacks. "Pulwama, Uri, Pathankot are not mentioned. I want to ask the Prime Minister, why this compromise was done?" said the AIMIM leader.

"You are not mentioning Pulwama or the Parliament attack. Masood Azhar was responsible for all of this. You compromised on that. Tell us what compromise you made to the Chinese (to get them to agree to Masood`s blacklisting)," Owaisi asked.

The AIMIM chief said that the blacklisting of Jaish chief is nothing more than a 'cosmetic thing'. Owaisi cited the example of Lashkar-e-Taiba boss Hafeez Saeed and said that he too was blacklisted by the UNSC but Saeed is still roaming freely in Pakistan. Owaisi added that Saeed is receiving monetary support from Pakistan and he is treated like a VIP.

"Hafiz Saeed of Lashkar-e-Taiba was blacklisted. Has Pakistan stopped giving him money? We know how Pakistan treats him as a VIP over there. Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the key conspirator of 26/11 Mumbai attacks fathered a son while being in jail. If you are sanctioned, you cannot get money so who paid Lakhvi`s bail money? The AIMIM leader claimed it was not a big achievement for India yet. It is very unfortunate that Prime Minister is browbeating and thumping his chest as if something great has happened," said Owaisi.

The AIMIM leader also took a dig at the US, the UK and France and said that these nations are playing games with both India and Pakistan and the real victims are Indian citizens. 

"These white people are playing games from both sides. On one side, they are saying Pakistan, it is your achievement, and on the other side, they are saying it is our achievement. Chinese are claiming it is their achievement. US secretary of state is saying it is their achievement but the victim is India. The citizens of India are the victims," he added.

Meanwhile, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday said that Pulwama terror attack "played a role" in designation of Masood Azhar as global terrorist. Kumar, however, stressed that the UN list is not a "bio-data" of Azhar's terror acts.

"Azhar was designated not based on one incident but several acts of terrorism. Our objective was to ensure his listing as global terrorist. We do not negotiate with any country on terrorism and on matters related to country's security. China has already given explanation on why Pulwama has been omitted from listing," Kumar told media.