- The US, UK, France, Germany and Belgium decided to block Pakistan’s move to list two Indian nationals as global terrorists under the UN Security Council 1267 sanctions committee.
- Earlier, they had put a hold on the listing, to give time for evidence to be provided. With no evidence at hand, the five countries decided to block the proposal.
- While the US, UK and France are permanent members of the UNSC, Germany and Belgium are non-permanent members.
- The listing requests concerned two Indian nationals, identified as Gobinda Patnaik Duggivalasa and Appaji Angara.
- India believes that Islamabad is trying to hit back after New Delhi managed to get Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar designated as a global terrorist under the UNSC 1267 sanctions committee in May last year.
- In July, Pakistan, with the support of UN Security Council permanent member and its all-weather ally China, had moved the 1267 Al Qaida sanctions committee
- To designate two Indians as global terrorists after accusing them of terror attacks in Balochistan and Peshawar, and even registered FIRs against them.
- With this, Pakistan has tried to get four Indian nationals listed as global terrorists.
- All four, who were working in Afghanistan, have left the country and returned to India.