BEIJING: China on Thursday again blocked Indian bid to list head of Jaish-e-Mohammad Maulana Msood Azhar as global terrorist by the United Nations, Indian media reported.
India, backed by the United States, France and UK, has been trying to get Masood Azhar added to a UN list of groups with ties to Al Qaeda.
China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, has repeatedly blocked India’s move to put a ban on Masood Azhar under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.
China on Thursday blocked the Indian move, saying it has rejected the move as “there is no consensus”.
This is the second year in succession that China has blocked the resolution. Last year, China had done the same to stall India’s application before the same Committee.
India, backed by the United States, has been trying to get Maulana Masood Azhar on a U.N. list of groups with ties to Al Qaeda, blaming his group for a series of attacks in India, including one on its parliament in 2002 and another last year on an airbase.
Such decisions must be based on cast-iron evidence and fully backed by members of the U.N. panel charged with implementing resolutions relating to sanctions on militant groups and individuals, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said two days back.
“China proposed a technical hold, the aim of which was to give more time for the committee members to discuss it and for relevant parties to have further consultations,” Hua told a daily news briefing.
“But regrettably, the committee has yet to reach consensus.”
The wrangling over Masood Azhar, a longtime Indian foe, has become a thorny issue in ties between China and India.
Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been blacklisted by the 15-nation Security Council, but not its head Azhar.
