UNITED NATIONS, Nov 6: The United Nations sanctions committee has imposed global sanctions on the Pakistan-based Haqqani network, considered a major threat to US and allied forces in Afghanistan, and its ‘chief of suicide operations’, Qari Zakir.

The committee ordered all 193 UN member states on Monday to freeze the assets and institute an arms embargo against the network, saying the group was linked to Al Qaeda and other militant organisations and was responsible for suicide attacks and targeted assassination as well as kidnappings in Kabul and several other Afghan provinces.

The committee also ordered an asset freeze, arms embargo and travel ban against Afghan-born Abdul Rauf Zakir, also known as Qari Zakir, who it said oversaw training of suicide attackers and provided instructions on how to construct improvised explosive devices.

The Security Council committee described him as “chief of suicide operations for the Haqqani Network” under its leader, Sirajuddin Jalaluddin Haqqani, “and in charge of all operations in Kabul, Takhar, Kunduz and Baghlan provinces.”