Oops, China did it again: Blocks UN move to list JeM Chief Masood Azhar a Global Terrorist
DHARAMSALA, March 14: China has once again put on hold, a proposal at the UN (United Nations) to ban Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.
China on Wednesday again blocked a move by three permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to declare JeM) Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, reports the India Today.
New Delhi was disappointed over the result. “This has prevented action by the international community to designate the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a proscribed and active terrorist organization which has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in J&K on Feb 14, 2019,” Times of India quoted it as saying in its report.
India has further thanked the member states who moved the designation proposal and vowed to press on with all available avenues to ensure that the terrorist leaders who are involved in heinous attacks on its citizens be brought to justice.
The report further stated that India has called China’s latest snub on to list Masood Azhar a global terrorist, another sign of China’s “double standards” on terrorism.
It is understood that the proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of UNSC was moved by France and backed by UK and US on February 27.
UNSC is the premier global body for maintaining international peace and security; China, France, Russian, UK, and the US makes up the five permanent members.
While any one of council’s permanent members can veto a resolution; the council’s ten elected members, which serve two-year, non-consecutive terms, are not afforded veto power.
As it functions on all or nothing, it faces steady calls for reform. JeM was declared a foreign terrorist organisation by the United Nations in October 2001, but this is the fourth instance where China has put the same proposal on ‘technical hold.
The hold can last up to a maximum of nine months following which Beijing can wield its veto power to formally, or terminate the proposal which was the case in 2009, 2016 and 2017 respectively.
