India takes up Masood issue with China at high level'

New Delhi: India has taken up at a “fairly high level” with China the issue of Beijing blocking its bid to have JeM chief and Pathankot attack mastermind Masood Azhar as designated terrorist by the United Nations, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

Asserting that India will continue to pursue the matter with China in the context of the UN, he also noted that the government has had a “backing and forthing” on the issue with the Chinese.

“My sense is that the particular issue that you referred to is something we have taken up with the Chinese. We have taken it up at a sort of fairly high level and we will continue to pursue this with the  Chinese,” Jaishankar was quoted by news agencies.  

Speculation is rife that a senior Indian diplomat may have spoken to the Chinese Ambassador in New Delhi or the Indian envoy in Beijing may have raised the issue with the Chinese foreign office.

But it is unclear whether a formal protest has been lodged by New Delhi over the matter with Beijing. At the same time, the Foreign Secretary indicated that the issue was not going to affect India’s relationship with China.