ISLAMABAD – A UN Security Council team has arrived in Islamabad for an assessment of Pakistan’s compliance with the world body’s sanctions regime to act against Hafiz Saeed.
Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Mohammad Faisal said that the team’s visit was a routine matter.
“The Monitoring Team (MT) of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 1267 Sanctions Committee, dealing with the Taliban, al Qaeda and Da’esh, is in Pakistan for a two-day visit,” he said.
He said the team apprises the member states of current international and regional threat assessment from terrorism and suggests way in which the member states can improve their implementation of sanctions measures.
Faisal said the visit will give Pakistan an opportunity to highlight its accomplishments in turning the tide against terrorism.
The sanctions monitoring team is expected to see the progress on sanction against banned entities including those run by Saeed.
Saeed was added to the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 sanctions list in December 2008 after Mumbai terror attack.
UN members are required freeze the financial assets of terror groups in order to destroy their capabilities to take part in terrorist activities.
Saeed was released from house arrest in November. The US has been repeatedly asking Pakistan to re-arrest him.
The UN official will not only see the progress on sanctions against Saeed and his charities but also against other groups listed under UNSC resolution.
When asked about possibility of access for the UN team Saeed, Faisal just said: “The UN Monitoring Team has a particular mandate of UN sanctions regime related to the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1267.”
A media report had said that Pakistan will not allow the committee any direct access to Saeed or his entities.
On Wednesday, the Lahore High Court restrained the government from arresting Saeed till March 07.
The JuD chief, who was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008, had moved the court seeking protection from arrest or action against JuD and Falah-i- Insaniat Foundation (FIF) ahead of the visit of the UN team.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/govt-barred-from-taking-illegal-action-against-hafiz-saeed-amid-un-teams-visit/
