ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office of Pakistan has welcomed the decision by the United Nations to include Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan Chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud to its sanctions list.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui, “Pakistan welcomes the designation of Noor Wali by the United Nations Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee on its ISIL and Al Qaeda sanctions list.”
The statement further said, “The sanctions are being implemented by Pakistan in compliance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and we hope that other countries will also follow suit.”
The TTP was already an UN-designated terrorist organization and was responsible for several terrorist attacks in Pakistan, the spokesperson added.
“Pakistan has defeated the TTP through comprehensive security operations in the country. However, the TTP continues to operate from outside Pakistan’s borders with support from its third-country facilitators, the statement read.
“Pakistan will continue to pursue its policy of fighting against those involved in participating, financing, planning, facilitating and perpetrating terrorism,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the decision was also welcomed by the US. the US State Department tweeted the TTP was “responsible for many deadly terrorist attacks in Pakistan”.
Welcome news that the @UN has added Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan leader Noor Wali Mehsud to its ISIL & AQ sanctions list. TTP is responsible for many deadly terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The United States domestically designated Noor Wali as a terrorist in September 2019.
— State_SCA (@State_SCA) July 16, 2020
“The United States domestically designated Noor Wali as a terrorist in September 2019,” it said.
It is worth mentioning here earlier US President Donald Trump had issued an executive order to expand the administration’s ability to go after suspected terrorists and their financiers and supporters.
The TTP chief is among 12 Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) leaders of previously designated groups including TTP, Hizbullah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Islamic State (IS), IS-Philippines, ISIS-West Africa and an al Qaeda affiliated group fighting in Syria.
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