New Delhi: Highlighting India’s new strategy, the United States — under the Trump administration — has now moved the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist but it was swiftly stymied by China which has again opposed the ban.
India has again taken up the matter with China and voiced its objections to Beijing. New Delhi’s efforts earlier to move the proposal was blocked by Beijing. The US — along with France and Britain — had earlier been co-sponsors of the Indian move but after Beijing had blocked the move in December-end, India had held consultations in January this year with the US, UK and France to evolve a new strategy. It seems to have been decided then that the US will now move the proposal instead of India, highlighting the new-found strength of Indo-US ties.
The Trump administration’s resolve to go after radical organisations has further aided New Delhi but Beijing remains a firm backer of Islamabad due to its interests arising from huge Chinese investments in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“We have been informed of this development (China blocking the US move) and the matter has been taken up with the Chinese Government,” ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
According to senior government sources, the US, supported by the UK and France, moved a proposal at the UN’s Sanctions Committee 1267 in the second-half of last month to proscribe Azhar.
The proposal, which was finalised after “consultations” between Washington and New Delhi, said JeM is a designated terror outfit and so its leaders cannot go scot-free, sources said.
