The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday welcomed the decision by the United Nations to add Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan Chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud to its sanctions list.

In a statement, FO Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said: "Pakistan welcomes the designation of Noor Wali [...] by the United Nations Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee on its ISIL and Al Qaeda sanctions list."

"The sanctions are being implemented by Pakistan in compliance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and we hope that other countries will also follow suit."

The spokesperson said that the TTP was already a UN-designated terrorist organisation and was responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

"Pakistan has defeated the TTP through comprehensive security operations in the country. However, the TTP continues to operate from outside Pakistan’s borders with support from its third-country facilitators.

"Pakistan will continue to pursue its policy of fighting against those involved in participating, financing, planning, facilitating and perpetrating terrorism," the statement concluded.

US welcomes UN's decision

The decision was also welcomed by the US. In a tweet, the US State Department said the TTP was "responsible for many deadly terrorist attacks in Pakistan".

"The United States domestically designated Noor Wali as a terrorist in September 2019," it added.

In 2019, US President Donald Trump had issued an executive order to expand the administration's ability to go after suspected terrorists and their financiers and supporters.

The list of 11 men the administration termed as "global terrorists" included Noor Wali — who was named the leader of the TTP in June 2018 following the death of former leader Mullah Fazlullah.