India has expressed disappointment that a technical hold has been put on it's application to designate terror leader and Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Mohamad Masood Azhar in the UN Security Council Committee.
Based on India's plea, 14 of the 15 countries in the UNSC had agreed to list Masood, but China used its veto power to block the move. China reportedly said there was not enough proof against Masood.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the selective approach to combating terror did not reflect well on the International community.
"We find it incomprehensible that while the Pakistan based JeM was listed in UN Security Council Committee as far back as 2001 for its well known terror activities and links to the Al Qaeda, the designation of the group’s main leader, financier and motivator has been put on a technical hold. The recent terror attack in Pathankot on January 2 has shown that India continues to bear the dangerous consequences of not listing Masood Azhar. Given the global networking of terrorist groups, this has implications for the entire international community."
Reuters adds:
It was not immediately clear why China requested that a hold be placed on the Indian request to blacklist Masood Azhar. Technical holds can be lifted and often arise when a Security Council member wants more information. But sometimes they lead to a permanent blocking of a proposed blacklisting.
If Masood Azhar was blacklisted by the U.N. Security Council, he would face a global travel ban and asset freeze.
The January 2 attack at Pathankot and a raid on an Indian consulate in Afghanistan have been linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad, or the Army of Mohammad.
The JeM militants are blamed for a 2001 attack on India's parliament that nearly led to a war between the nuclear-armed rivals.
