China again blocks UN proposal to designate JeM chief Masood Azhar as 'global terrorist'

Despite repeated requests from India, China has once again blocked the proposal to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a 'global terrorist.'

New Delhi: Despite repeated requests from India, China has once again blocked the UN proposal to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a 'global terrorist.'

According to PTI, China has extended by three months its technical hold on the US, France and UK-backed proposal to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist by the United Nations.

Azhar is wanted by India in connection with the brazen terror attack in Punjab's Pathankot last year.

China had in February this year blocked the US move to designate Azhar as a global terrorist at UN.

The deadline for China to take action on its technical hold was till August 2.

If China would not have extended the technical hold, Azhar would have automatically been designated under the UN as a terrorist. 

PTI quoted sources as saying that just before the deadline lapsed, China once again sought a three-month extension until November 2 on its technical hold on the proposal.

A veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, Beijing has repeatedly blocked India's move to put a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed leader under the AlQaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.

Last year in March, China was the sole 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.

The six-month validity of that technical hold lapsed in September and Beijing then extended it by three more months.

In December last year, after China blocked India's proposal to list the JeM chief, Indian diplomatic sources here had said that the pursuit of terrorism was not a "one-shot affair" for India and that it will continue to pursue issues of terrorism "through all available mechanisms".

Sources had said that the block would not prevent India from pursuing at the world body issues of terrorism and sanctioning of leaders of terror outfits.