Masood Azhar row: China’s double standard will only undermine resolve to combat terrorism, says India

JeM founder Masood Azhar. (File Photo)

The government on Thursday expressed its disappointment over China’s decision to block Masood Azhar’s designation as a global terrorist. “Deeply disappointed that once again, a single country blocked international consensus on designation of an acknowledged terrorist Masood Azhar. India strongly believes that double standards will only undermine international community’s resolve to combat terrorism,” a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said. The statement added, “India hopes there will be realisation that accommodating with terrorism for narrow objectives is short sighted and counter productive.”

For the second consecutive year, China blocked another resolution by the US, France and the UK to index Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the United Nations, saying “there is no consensus”.

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.

“China has rejected the move as there is no consensus,” sources in the Chinese Foreign Ministry told PTI in Beijing. The comment came as the China’s technical hold on a proposal by the US, France and Britain to list Azhar as a global terrorist was set to lapse on Thursday. China had in August extended by three months its technical hold on the the US, France and UK-backed proposal to list Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN after having blocked the move in February this year at the United Nations.