United Nations terror list has 139 Pakistan entries

In April 2018, reports emerged that the United Nations Security Council’s consolidated list of designated terrorists and terrorist entities contained 139 entries with links to Pakistan. The number drew attention to the country’s ongoing struggle with internationally recognized militant groups operating within its borders or using its territory for logistical purposes.

Scope of the Pakistan Entries

The criteria for an entry’s connection to Pakistan were broad. According to reporting at the time, the list included individuals who had either lived in Pakistan, operated from bases within the country, or had been associated with organizations that used Pakistani territory to support or carry out their operations. This meant the list was not limited to Pakistani nationals but also included foreign militants who had a documented presence there.

High-Profile Designations

At the top of the list was Ayman al-Zawahiri, the then-leader of al-Qaeda who succeeded Osama bin Laden. The United Nations data reportedly noted that his location was believed to be somewhere in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. The list also included several of his aides who were thought to be with him.

Another prominent figure was Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, an Indian national wanted for the 1993 Mumbai bombings. The UNSC listing contained specific details about him, alleging that he held multiple Pakistani passports issued in Rawalpindi and Karachi. The report also cited the UN’s information that he owned a large house in the Noorabad area of Karachi.

Also named was Ramzi Mohammad bin al-Sheibah, a Yemeni national and key facilitator of the September 11 attacks. His entry noted his capture in Karachi before he was handed over to authorities from the United States.

Listed Organizations and Their Leadership

The list also targeted specific organizations. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the group responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was featured prominently. Its founder, Hafiz Saeed, and his deputies Abdul Salaam and Zafar Iqbal were named individually. The UN designation clarified that Jamaat-ud-Dawa was an alias for LeT.

Dawood Ibrahim’s criminal enterprise, the D-company, was also described as a significant threat. The report cited testimony given to United States lawmakers by Dr. Louise Shelley, a professor at George Mason University, who characterized the D-company as a powerful transnational crime and terror organization. She stated that the group trafficked weapons and counterfeit goods and provided illicit financial services through an extensive hawala system, drawing parallels with Mexican drug cartels.

Specifics from the UN Records

The public data from the UN Security Council list provided identifying information intended to assist member states in enforcing sanctions, such as travel bans and asset freezes. For figures like Dawood Ibrahim, the inclusion of multiple alleged addresses and passport details underscored the level of detail compiled by international monitors. The information connected him directly to residential areas and official documents from Pakistan.

Questions about this record

What did it mean for an entry on the UN terror list to be 'from Pakistan'?

It referred to individuals or entities that had resided in Pakistan, conducted operations from its soil, or were linked to organizations that used Pakistani territory for their activities. This broad definition covered both Pakistani nationals and foreign militants who had a documented presence in the country at some point.

Who was the most senior al-Qaeda figure on the list mentioned in the 2018 report?

Ayman al-Zawahiri, who had succeeded Osama bin Laden as the leader of al-Qaeda, was reportedly at the top of the list. At the time, the United Nations data suggested that his location was somewhere in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, a common hiding area for militant leaders.

Was Dawood Ibrahim's criminal organization mentioned in the report?

Yes, his syndicate, D-company, was highlighted. The report cited testimony from an expert to U.S. lawmakers which described the group as a transnational crime-terror organization. It was said to be involved in trafficking weapons, counterfeit goods, and running a large hawala financial network, similar in scope to drug cartels.

Did the UN list include aliases for the designated terrorist groups?

Yes, the list included known aliases to prevent designated groups from evading sanctions by operating under different names. For example, the report noted that Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a charity and activist organization, was officially identified by the United Nations as a front for the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).