PARIS:
France
has decided to freeze the assets of
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) founder Masood Azhar , the French government said on Friday.
A joint statement issued by the French interior ministry, finance ministry and foreign ministry added that France would discuss putting
Masood Azhar
on a European Union list of people suspected of being involved in terrorism.
Pakistan is under pressure from global powers to act against groups carrying out attacks in India, including
Jaish-e-Mohammed, which claimed responsibility for a February 14 attack in Kashmir's
Pulwama that killed at least 40 paramilitary personnel.
France's move to freeze Jaish assets comes days after
China blocked an UNSC proposal to list Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.
The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the Security Council was moved by France, the UK and the US on February 27, days after a Jaish suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, leading to a flare-up in tensions between India and Pakistan.
Other than Pulwama, Azhar-led JeM has been involved in several terror attacks in India over nearly two decades.
It was responsible for the attack on Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001 in which nine security personnel and officials were killed.
In January, 2016, a heavily armed group of JeM attacked the Pathankot airbase in which seven security personnel were killed. The terror group also carried out the attack on Uri brigade headquarters in September 2016, killing 17 soldiers and injuring 30 others.
(With inputs from agencies)
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