China blocks UN move to ban Masood Azhar for the fourth time

Masood Azhar. Pic courtesy/ AFP

China has once again come to the rescue of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar by blocking a proposal in the UN Security Council on Wednesday to enlist Masood Azhar as an international terrorist. This is the fourth time that China has used the technical hold to block the proposal, which was being pushed by other permanent members of the UNSC, France, the US and the UK.

The Indian government expressed disappointment over China's decision to block the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Masood Azhar's terror outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammad, which was founded in 2000 is responsible for several terror attacks in India including the suicide attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama on February 14, 2019, which killed almost 40 CRPF jawans.

China blocked previous attempts to list Mohammed Masood Azhar under the UN Sanctions in 2009, 2016 and 2017 and now in 2019. Here's a look at the timeline

2009: India moves a proposal by itself to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist but China blocked the move for the first time.

2016: India made a move again with the proposal with the support of the P3 - the United States, the United Kingdom and France in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar.

2017: The P3 nations move a similar move again but China blocked the proposal from being adopted.

February 27, 2019: The United States, the United Kingdom and France move a fresh proposal in UN Security Council to designate Azhar as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him asset freeze, to a global travel ban and arms embargo.

March 13, 2019: The 1267 Sanctions Committee designates Azhae as a global terrorist after none of the members of the committee objects to the proposal of the United States, the United Kingdom and France. But China blocks the proposal again.

As stated on the UN Security Council's official website, "The Committee was initially established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), which imposed a limited air embargo and assets freeze on the Taliban. Over time, the regime evolved and the measures became a targeted assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo against designated individuals and entities. Exemptions to the assets freeze and travel ban were also introduced and the fairness and clarity of the procedures for listing and de-listing was improved, in particular through the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsperson."

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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from PTI