China again blocks India’s bid in UNSC to label Masood Azhar as global terrorist 

Maulana Masood Azhar.

New Delhi: China has yet again blocked India’s bid to label the Jaish-e-Muhammed chief, Maulana Masood Azhar, as a global terrorist in the United Nations security council, on Wednesday. This is the fourth time China has placed technical hold on the bid to brand Azhar as a global terrorist at the UNSC.

Earlier this week, Beijing gave an evasive answer when asked about China’s position on Azhar.

India has been repeatedly appealing to the United Nations to ban JeM and designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. After the terrorist organization claimed responsibility for deadly suicide attack on CRPF convoy in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pulwama, on February 14, India’s move was supported by the United States, United Kingdom and France, among other countries.

Expressing its disappointment over China’s stand on blocking the bid, the ministry of external affairs, in a statement, said: “We are disappointed by this outcome. This has prevented action by the international community to designate the leader of JeM, a proscribed and active terrorist organization which has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in J&K on February 14.”

“We are grateful for the efforts of the member states who moved the designation proposal and the unprecedented number of all other security council members as well as non-members who joined as co-sponsors,” the MEA added.

The listing of Masood Azhar as global terrorist will result in a ban on his travel and freezing his assets. Along with India, the United States, United Kingdom, France and now Germany have co-sponsored the bid to list Azhar in UNSC.

China had been frustrating India’s efforts to get Azhar branded as a global terrorist at the behest of Pakistan – Beijing’s all-weather friend, which had been using jihadist outfits as strategic assets against India, Afghanistan and now Iran.

Related