India again takes up Masood Azhar issue with China

India has taken up with Beijing the issue of China putting on hold again inclusion of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar's name in the UN's designated list of terrorists, the government said on Thursday.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup confirmed this in his weekly media briefing here.

A Chinese official confirmed last week that Beijing has extended its decision to put a technical hold on the UN's 1267 Committee declaring Pakistan-based Azhar a terrorist by three months.

In April, China had blocked India's move to label Azhar, a decision had angered New Delhi which has been trying to convince Beijing to reconsider the decision.

Beijing's latest move comes nearly two weeks after four Pakistani terrorists killed 18 Indian soldiers in cross-border terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri.

Swarup said that India's principal argument made in its submission to the 1267 Committee in March this year, was that the Committee has proscribed the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, but has ignored the need to take action against this organisation's main leader, financier and motivator who continues his terrorist actions, unhindered.

"On the further extension all that I will say is that the Committee has already pondered our submission for the last six months," he said.

"It will get a further three months to ponder, but that will in no way change the strange situation we have of the Committee designating the terrorist organisation but failing to or ignoring the need to designate the organisation's most active and dangerous terrorist!"

According to the spokesperson, India has conveyed to the Committee that it is expected to proscribe Masood Azhar under the 1267 Sanction Regime on the basis of New Delhi's submission.

"Such a designation would help send a strong signal to all terror groups across the world that the international community is no longer going to pursue, or tolerate, selective approaches to terrorism," Swarup said.

Stating that distinction between good and bad terrorists was not only fallacious and counterproductive, he said that it would also be sending a dangerous message if it failed to act upon India's submission.

"I understand this issue is also being taken up with the Chinese government," Swarup said.

--IANS

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