Masood Azhar to be Blacklisted? Pakistan Asks China to Let UN Ban JeM Chief, But Sets Preconditions For India
Pakistan has told China that it should let the UN ban Masood Azhar if India agrees for a military de-escalation on the border and resumes bilateral dialogue.
New Delhi, March 28: Pakistan has reportedly asked its all-weather ally China to lift the technical hold on the United Nations (UN) listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. However, Pakistan set preconditions for India if it wants China not to vote in favour of a resolution to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. Pakistan has told China that it wants India to carry out a military de-escalation on the border and resumption of bilateral talks between New Delhi and Islamabad.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, Pakistan has told China that it should let the UN ban Masood Azhar if India agrees for a military de-escalation on the border and resumes bilateral dialogue with Islamabad on all outstanding issues including Kashmir. Beijing is understood to have conveyed Pakistan’s preconditions to the US. However, the Trump administration is of the view that the listing of Azhar and the resumption of talks between India and Pakistan are not linked with each other, the report added. Here’s How China Blocked the Listing of Masood Azhar at the UNSC.
After the Pulwama terror attack, the US, France and Britain moved a resolution in the UN Sanctions Committee of the Security Council to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. The move suffered a setback as China put a "technical hold" on the proposal. Bejing has so far blocked the listing of Azhar four times. Following China's recent "technical hold", the US, Britain and France, the three key members of P-5 of the UNSC, asked Beijing to come up with specific reasons for the hold in two weeks. This deadline expires this week. Rahul Gandhi Attacks Narendra Modi, Says ‘Tell Pulwama Victim Families Who Released Masood Azhar’.
Meanwhile, the United States, supported by Britain and France have made a fresh attempt on Wednesday to designate Azhar as a global terrorist. The US circulated the draft resolution to the powerful 15-nation Council to blacklist the leader of the Pakistan-based terror group and subject him to a travel ban, an assets freeze and an arms embargo. The draft resolution says Azhar will be added to the UN Al-Qaida and Islamic State sanctions blacklist.
An annexe to the draft resolution says Azhar is associated with the Islamic State terror group, Al-Qaida for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating” or “supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material” or supporting acts of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). China Accuses US of Undermining UN Anti-Terror Body by Forcefully Moving Resolution on Masood Azhar in UNSC.
UN sources told news agency PTI that this is the “first time” the US, the UK and France have moved a draft resolution directly in the Security Council to designate Azhar. The previous have been listing proposals in the Sanctions Committee of the Council to designate Azhar. Unlike a listing proposal, which is generally under a 10- day no objection period, the draft resolution is not under any no-objection provision.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 28, 2019 03:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).