China Says No Change On Masood Azhar Issue
China on Thursday blocked a US-backed resolution to sanction Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar at the UN Security Council, citing “absence of consensus” among member countries to declare him an international terrorist.
The foreign ministry had signalled its intention to block the resolution earlier in the day, saying: “It is a fact that the (UN) committee is yet to reach agreement (on the move).”
For the second consecutive year, China on Thursday yet again blocked another resolution by the US, France and the UK to index Pakistan-based JeM chief and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the United Nations, saying “there is no consensus”, as reported by news agency PTI.
“We will continue to follow the mandate of the Committee and its rules of procedure and remain in constant communication and coordination with the members of the Committee,” she said.
China’s reluctance to act against Azhar comes weeks after Brics (Brazil, Russian, Inia, China and South Africa) member countries – rather unexpectedly – named Pakistan-based JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba among terror groups causing violence and security concerns, bracketing them with the Islamic State.
Last year in March, China was the only member in the 15-nation UN organ to put a hold on India’s application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi’s bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban.
Beijing’s decision to block the move could be seen as a turn-around after being part of the Xiamen Declaration, released after the Brics summit last month. The declaration was the first time anti-India groups such as LeT and JeM were compared to the IS by the grouping.
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