China blocking proposal for UN blacklist of Masood Azhar's brother most uncalled for: MEA

After China put a technical hold on the proposal by India and US to blacklist Masood Azhar's brother Abdul Rauf Asghar, MEA asserted that this move was most uncalled for. If the sanctions committee of the UNSC approves the listing, the terrorist will be subjected to an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. Addressing a press briefing on Friday, MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi lamented that the international community has been unable to speak in one common voice when it comes to the collective battle against terrorism. 

The MEA spokesman stressed,  "As you're all aware, Abdul Rauf Asghar, the deputy chief of Jaish e Mohammed, which is a UN proscribed entity was actively involved in terrorist attacks, such as hijacking of Indian Airlines IC 814 in 1998, as well as the terror attacks on the Indian Parliament in 2001, and the terror attacks at the Indian army camp in Kathua in 2014, as well as the Pathankot IAF base attack in 2016. He has been proscribed under both Indian and US laws already. And therefore, the placing of this technical hold against such wanted terrorist is most uncalled for." 

China's attempt to block terror designation

Incidentally, this is not the first time that China has attempted to shield Pakistan-based terrorists. In 2009, 2016 and 2017, it blocked India's proposal to blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. He formed the JeM after being released by India in exchange for passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines plane in 1999. The JeM is responsible for carrying out multiple terror attacks in India including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack. In May 2019, the United Nations designated Azhar as a "global terrorist" as China lifted its veto.

However, China placed a hold on blacklisting 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed's brother-in-law and Pakistani terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki in June this year. Speaking at the UNSC meeting on August 9, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj stressed, “An effective functioning of the Sanctions Committees requires them to become more transparent, accountable and objective. The practice of placing holds and blocks on listing requests without giving any justification must end". 

She added, “Double standards and continuing politicization have rendered the credibility of the Sanctions Regime at an all-time low. We do hope that all members of the UNSC can pronounce together in one voice, sooner than later, when it comes to this collective fight against international terrorism". Meanwhile, Pakistan has continued to peddle the ludicrous claim that it had no knowledge of Masood Azhar's whereabouts.