Giving setback to India, China for the fourth time blocked a bid in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to designate Pakistan’s Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar as a "global terrorist".
India termed the move of China’s putting a technical hold on the proposal as “disappointing”.
Fourth proposal to designate Masood Azhar as "global terrorist"
• The proposal was moved by P3 countries (France, United Kingdom and United States) on February 27, 2019 to the 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council in wake of Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan-based terror group JeM that killed over 40 CRPF personnel in India.
• The members of the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee were given a time limit of 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal.
• If there is no objection to the proposal by the end of the no-objection period, the decision is deemed to be adopted.
• The no-objection period deadline was scheduled to end on March 14, 2019 (Indian Time). However, just before the deadline, China blocked the proposal with a ‘technical hold’ and asked for "more time to examine" the proposal.
• The technical hold is valid for up to six months and it can be extended by three months thereafter.
| Pulwama Terror Attack |
| The move came days after a suicide bomber killed an Indian army convoy on February 14, 2019 of over 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
The responsibility of the attack was claimed by a Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which is led by Masood Azhar. In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, India launched a major diplomatic action against Pakistan, holding briefing for envoys of 25 countries, including five permanent UNSC members - the US, China, Russia, the UK and France, to highlight Pakistan's role in using terrorism as an instrument of state policy. |
China’s blocking of all four proposals
• This proposal was the fourth such bid at the UNSC in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. China had in the past blocked India's bids thrice to get Azhar listed as a global terrorist.
• In 2009, India alone moved a proposal in the UNSC to designate Azhar as a global terrorist. In 2016, India moved the proposal along with the P3 - the United States, the United Kingdom and France in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar. In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal.
• However, on all occasions China blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee.
Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee
• The Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee is one of three UNSC committees dealing with counter-terrorism. The other two are - Counter-Terrorism Committee, and the Security Council Committee.
• The 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee aims to impose strictures against individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
• The committee makes its decisions by consensus of its members.
What would be the outcome of listing of Azhar as a terrorist?
• The listing of Azhar as a terrorist would be a significant diplomatic victory for India and would have resulted in restrictions on his travel and freezing of his assets.
• All member states freeze the funds and other financial assets and resources of designated individuals and entities without delay.
• The travel ban prevents the designated individuals from entering into or passing by all states through their territories.
• All states are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer of the arms and weapons from their territories to the designated individuals and entities.
| Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar |
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