In march last year, China put hold on the application submitted by India to declare Masood Azhar, the chief of Jaish e Mohammed, as a global terrorist. China was the only member of the security council to do so, while all other 14 members supported New Delhi’s bid to place Azhar on the sanctions list, that meant that his assets could be frozen and he would be placed under a travel ban.
China today once again hinted at blocking the US, France and UK’s bid to list Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief and alleged Pathankot terror attack mastermind Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, harping on its familiar stand that there was no consensus among the UN Security Council members.
China had in August extended by three months its technical hold on the proposal to list terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist after having blocked the move in February this year at the United Nations.
“We have made our position clear many times from this podium. The relevant resolutions of Security Council have clear stipulations as to the mandate of 1267 Committee and also clear stipulations when it comes to the listing of relevant organisations and individuals,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a media briefing in Beijing.
Replying to questions whether China will block the ban on Masood Azhar again when the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council takes up the issue on Thursday, Ms Hua said “as for listing application by the relevant country, there are disagreements”.
A veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India’s move to put a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist under the Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.
Last year in March, China was the only member in the 15-nation United Nations organ to put a hold on India’s application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi’s bid to place Masood Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban.
China views Pakistan as its all-weather friend and has been backing its bid to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
