As the United Nations security council was trying to resolve the issue of Masood Azhar’s listing as a “global terrorist”, China has on Monday reported “positive progress” over a move to listing Jaish-e-Mohammed chief as UN-designated global terrorist.
According to Dawn news reports, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, “After the application for designation of Azhar was proposed, China is in close communication and coordination with various parties and made positive progress.”
In Beijing, Shuang told a media briefing: “The US knows that very well. But under such circumstances, the US is still pushing the Security Council to adopt a draft resolution. This cannot be justified.”
Earlier, the Indian media reported the UNSC would hold voting on Wednesday over a drafted resolution provided by the United States to designate Azhar as a global terrorist, but the vote apparently delayed.
China has on March 13 blocked a resolution proposed by France and backed by both the United Kingdom and the US, seeking the designation of Azhar through a United Nations forum, known as the 1267 al-Qaeda sanctions committee. Beijing has put a “technical hold” over the move, arguing that it needed some additional time to study the issue.
China’s foreign ministry said the “technical hold” would be beneficial for parties as they were being provided with more time to study the case and review the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 44 CRPF personnel on February 14 – the suicide bombing attack which JeM chief Masood Azhar globally claimed to have the responsibility.