India in talks with China over repeated blocks in banning Masood Azhar

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday asserted that the Indian government is in talks with China in regard with Beijing blocking the United States' move of banning Pathankot attack mastermind and Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar at the United Nations.

MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "We have informed of this development pertaining Masooz Azhar and matter has been taken up with Chinese Government."

The U.S. earlier in the day had moved the United Nation for banning Azhar.

The US, supported by the UK and France, moved a proposal to designate Azhar as a global terrorist at the Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, but it has once again been opposed by China.

According to reports, the proposal, which was finalised after consultations between Washington and New Delhi, said JeM is a designated terror outfit and so its leaders cannot go scot-free.

Post the attack on the IAF base at Pathankot in January last year, India in February urged the UN requesting to list Azhar under the al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.

The efforts faced stiff opposition by China, which twice put a technical hold before finally blocking the Indian proposal in December.