China's dissent on Azhar counters mutual goals: US

China's opposition to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist by the UN runs counter to its mutual goal with the US on regional stability, according to a State Department official.

As the founder and leader of the Pakistan-based JeM, Azhar "meets the criteria for the designation by the UN" as a global terrorist subject to its sanctions, Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said on Tuesday.

He leads the JeM, which has been designated by the UN as a terrorist organisation and "has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks and is a threat to regional stability and peace", Palladino said during a news briefing in Washington.

China has placed Azhar under its protection and vetoed moves to declare him a global terrorist that would subject him to UN sanctions.

"The US and China share a mutual interest in achieving regional stability and peace, and ... a failure to designate Azhar would run counter to this goal," Palladino added.

After the Pulwama suicide car-bombing by the JeM that killed more than 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers on February 14, France is spearheading a renewed effort with British and the US backing to put sanctions on Azhar.

About these efforts, Palladino said: "The US and India work closely together on counter-terrorism efforts, and that includes at the UN."

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

--IANS

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