'Global terrorist' Abdul Rehman Makki denies Al-Qaeda links

Abdul Rehman Makki, the deputy leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), denied any links with Al-Qaeda on Thursday, January 19, days after being added to the UN Security Council's (UNSC) list of terrorists.

Releasing a video from the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Pakistan's Lahore, Makki said "I believe that the grounds for my listing are based on heresy and disinformation by the Indian government. I never met Osama Bin Laden, Ayman Al-Zawahiri or Abdullah Azam as alleged by some propaganda reports," news agency ANI reported.

He said that he condemned Al-Qaeda's belief and actions, adding that they were the exact opposite of what he stood for. "I believe in the principal position of the Pakistani government regarding Kashmir…," the LeT leader further said in the video on Thursday.

Hafiz Saeed, the leader of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attack, is connected to Makki. Along with Saeed and some other key officials of the LeT and JuD, Makki has been arrested since 2019 serving multiple terms in terror finance charges. He was added to the UNSC's list of terrorists on Monday, and as a result, he is now subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo.

According to ANI, which cited sources with access to the situation, the Indian government made the listing of terrorists with ties to Pakistan a high goal during its UN term from 2021 to 22. Last year, the government submitted five names to the 1267 committee, amongst them Abdul Rehman Makki.

Statement by UN

In a statement, the UN said, "On 16 January 2023, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Daesh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities approved the addition of the entry specified below to its ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2610 (2021) and adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations."

Makki has already been labeled a terrorist by the legal provisions of both India and the United States. According to the study, he has been actively involved in fund-raising, recruiting, marginalising, and planning assaults in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. Reacting to the UNSC listing, Makki said "No due process was followed or information was provided regarding these listings."

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