Masood Azhar is a bad guy, should be declared global terrorist: US

China had November 02 blocked another bid by the US, France and the UK to list Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN.

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Washington: The United States on Wednesday said that Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar was 'bad guy' and should be declared a global terrorist.

"We certainly think that he is a bad guy. We would like to have him on that list," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said at a press conference when asked about China's move.

"There are some committee discussions that are underway over whether to add him or the entity to the sanctions list. That list is confidential under the United Nations, so unfortunately, I am not going to be able to comment on the deliberations at the UN under that," she added.

"I'd have to refer you to the Chinese government to explain why they voted the way they did, but we certainly think that this guy is a bad guy," Nauert said when asked about China's action.

"We consider the organisation to be a foreign terrorist organisation under the US law," she said, PTI reported.

On November 02, China had blocked another bid by the US, France and the UK to list Pathankot terror attack mastermind as a global terrorist by the UN.

A veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India's move to put a ban on the JeM chief under the al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.

In February this year, China had asked India to provide 'solid evidence' to back efforts to get JeM chief banned by the UN.

And in March 2017, 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. 

(With PTI inputs)