India disappointed as China blocks UN sanctions against JeM chief Masood Azhar

Washington: India has strongly expressed its disappointment over a "technical hold" on its bid to include JeM chief and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Masood Azhar in the UN sanctions list, terming the move as "incomprehensible".

In a strongly-worded statement, India slammed China's virtual veto of its attempt to blacklist Azhar, saying "this does not reflect well on the determination that the international community needs to display to decisively defeat the menace of terrorism."

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the UN sanctions committee was taking a "selective approach" in tackling terrorism.

"Its working methods, based on the principles of unanimity and anonymity, is leading the Committee to adopt a selective approach to combating terrorism," Swarup said in a press conference yesterday, adding that the move has implications for the entire international community.

Swarup said India is "disappointed" that a technical hold has been put on its application to include the name of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief by a terrorist sanctions committee established by the UN Security Council.

India, he said, finds it "incomprehensible" that while the Pakistan-based JeM was listed in the UN Security Council Committee as far back as 2001 for its known terror activities and links to the Al Qaeda, the designation of the group's main leader, financier and motivator has been put on a technical hold.

"The recent terror attack in Pathankot on January 2 has shown that India continues to bear the dangerous consequences of not listing Masood Azhar. Given the global networking of terrorist groups, this has implications for the entire international community," Swarup said.

The spokesperson said the resolutions of the UN Security Council should aim to protect all member states and their citizens from the activities of terror groups such as JeM its leader Azhar.

Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Liu Jieyi said Azhar does not qualify to be nailed as a "terrorist" to face UN sanctions as his case "did not meet" the Security Council's requirements. He, however, did not elaborate.

"Any listing would have to meet the necessary requirements," said Liu. "It is the responsibility of all members of the council to make sure that these requirements are followed."

China, one of the five permanent members of the UN group with veto powers, has claimed that its decision is based on facts and rules.