United Nations (New York): The fate of the proposal to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed’s (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a ‘global terrorist’ by the UN Security Council (UNSC) will be known Wednesday (early Thursday in India) and all eyes are on China, after it blocked the move thrice since 2009. The country has given strong indications that it may do so again.
The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC was moved by France, the UK and the US, February 27, days after the Pulwama terror attack which JeM claimed responsibility for.
The Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee members have 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal. The no-objection period deadline ends 3.00pm local time (New York) Wednesday (12:30am IST Thursday). If no objection is received by the end of the period, the decision will be deemed adopted, meaning that Azhar will become an UN-designated global terrorist.
China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, and an ‘all-weather ally’ of Pakistan, has blocked India’s proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee in 2009 and 2016. In 2017, Beijing also blocked a move by the US, the UK and France to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN.
Hectic diplomatic and political parleys have preceded the closely-watched March 13 deadline as New Delhi reached out to member countries of the 15-member UNSC.
India launched a major diplomatic offensive against Islamabad, holding briefing for envoys of 25 countries, including from the five permanent UNSC members – the US, China, Russia, the UK and France – to highlight Pakistan’s role in using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.
The US said Wednesday that Azhar meets the criteria to brand him as a ‘global terrorist’ by the UN and China’s opposition to the move to ‘update’ the designation list goes against the interests of Washington and Beijing in achieving regional stability and peace.
Meanwhile, an inkling of China’s stand on the issue came during Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang’s press conferences, Monday and Wednesday in Beijing when he was asked about the proposal to list Azhar as a global terrorist by the UNSC.
“We already stressed China’s position on the listing of terrorist organisations and individuals in the UN Security Council 1267 Committee on many occasions,” Lu had said, Monday. “China will continue to adopt responsible attitude and participate in the deliberations in the UNSC 1267 Committee,” Lu said Wednesday.
Strategic Squeeze
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