France stands by India, freezes assets of Jaish chief Masood Azhar

• The French government has announced that it will be freezing all the assets of Jaish chief Masood Azhar, who claimed responsibility for the Pulwama attack in India.
  
• The statement said, “France has decided to sanction Masood Azhar at the national level by freezing his assets in application of the Monetary and Financial Code”.
  
• The move comes just days after China vetoed India’s push at the UN to list Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

The French government has announced that it will be freezing all assets of Jaish chief Masood Azhar in its country. The move comes just days after China exercised its veto in the United Nations to put a hold on listing Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

In an official statement, the French government stated that the Pulwama attack – which took over 40 lives was ‘deadly’ – and Jaish-e-Mohammed was responsible.

France added that it has and always will be by India’s side in the fight against terrorism. The statement said, “France has decided to sanction Masood Azhar at the national level by freezing his assets in application of the Monetary and Financial Code.”

Furthermore, the government of France now plans to raise the issue with other European countries to include Masood Azhar on the European Union list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts.

India was pushing at the UN for Masood Azhar to be declared as a global terrorist and the proposal for the same had been pushed forward by the US, UK and France.

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