Won't sit idle until Masood Azhar is brought to justice: India's UN envoy

Syed Akbaruddin, India's permanent representative to the United Nation, on Sunday said that India will not sit idle till Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar is brought to justice.

Speaking to ANI, Akbaruddin assured that India would persistently raise Masood Azhar issue on the international forum and find a solution through dialogue.

"Many countries are with us except one (China). Only that one country is coming in way of declaring Masood Azhar a globally designated terrorist at the UN. But, we want to find a solution to this issue through dialogue. This issue is under a committee of the United Nations and it is expected take decision on it in three months. But, I will assure you that we will never forget this issue. Masood Azhar is a criminal. Whatever time it takes, India will not sit idle till he is brought to justice," he said.

On August 3, China again extended by three months its technical hold on the US, France and UK- backed proposal to list JeM chief and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist by the UN. The extension is expiring on November 2.

China is supporting Masood Azhar at the behest of Pakistan.

If China would not have extended the technical hold, Masood Azhar would have automatically been designated by the United Nations as a terrorist.

Following China's stand on Azhar, India on August 4 called for international cooperation against all forms of terrorism.

Speaking at a press conference, India's then External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay had said that Azhar's involvement in carrying out terror attacks on Indian soil is a well-known fact.

He also accused Azhar of fomenting terrorism in other countries and other parts of region.

In February also, China blocked the United States' move to designate Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN.

If Azhar is designated global terrorist at the UN then it would prevent the terror chief from travelling internationally and result in a global freezing of his assets.

India has accused Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Mufti Rauf Asghar and his two other key lieutenants - Shahid Latif and Kashif Jan for the January 2 Pathankot airbase attack.