NEW DELHI: India on Thursday reacted strongly to China's move to once again block listing of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the United Nations.
"We are deeply disappointed that once again, a single country has blocked international consensus on the designation of an acknowledged terrorist and leader of UN-designated terrorist organisation, Masood Azhar," said ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in a statement, without naming China.
India strongly believes that "double standards" and "selective approaches" will only undermine the international community's resolve to combat terrorism, Kumar said.
"We can only hope that there will be a realisation that accommodating terrorism for narrow objectives is both short-sighted and counterproductive," he asserted.
China on Thursday blocked another bid by the US, France and the UK to list the Pakistan-based chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Pathankot terror attack mastermind as a global terrorist by the UN, saying it has rejected the move as "there is no consensus".
China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, has repeatedly blocked India's attempts to ban the JeM chief under the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the Council.
The JeM, founded by Azhar, is already in the UN's list of banned terror outfits.
China had in August extended by three months its technical hold on the US, France and UK-backed proposal to list Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN after having blocked the move in February this year.
This is the second year in succession that China has blocked the resolution. Last year in March, China was the only member to put a hold on India's application, with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi's bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban.
"We raised a technical hold so as to allow more time for the committee and its members to deliberate on this matter. But there is still absence of consensus on this matter," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying had said earlier.
Defending China's consistent technical holds, Hua had said China's actions are meant to ensure and safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council.
"We will continue to follow the mandate of the Committee and its rules of procedure and remain in constant communication and coordination with the members of the Committee," she had said.
Hua's remarks indicate that China will continue its policy of blocking moves to block Azhar's listing during the second term of Chinese President Xi Jinping, which began over a week ago.
China has, in the past, asked India to discuss the issue directly with Pakistan in order to reach an understanding on the listing.
"We are deeply disappointed that once again, a single country has blocked international consensus on the designation of an acknowledged terrorist and leader of UN-designated terrorist organisation, Masood Azhar," said ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in a statement, without naming China.
India strongly believes that "double standards" and "selective approaches" will only undermine the international community's resolve to combat terrorism, Kumar said.
"We can only hope that there will be a realisation that accommodating terrorism for narrow objectives is both short-sighted and counterproductive," he asserted.
China on Thursday blocked another bid by the US, France and the UK to list the Pakistan-based chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Pathankot terror attack mastermind as a global terrorist by the UN, saying it has rejected the move as "there is no consensus".
China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, has repeatedly blocked India's attempts to ban the JeM chief under the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the Council.
The JeM, founded by Azhar, is already in the UN's list of banned terror outfits.
China had in August extended by three months its technical hold on the US, France and UK-backed proposal to list Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN after having blocked the move in February this year.
This is the second year in succession that China has blocked the resolution. Last year in March, China was the only member to put a hold on India's application, with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi's bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban.
"We raised a technical hold so as to allow more time for the committee and its members to deliberate on this matter. But there is still absence of consensus on this matter," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying had said earlier.
Defending China's consistent technical holds, Hua had said China's actions are meant to ensure and safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council.
"We will continue to follow the mandate of the Committee and its rules of procedure and remain in constant communication and coordination with the members of the Committee," she had said.
Hua's remarks indicate that China will continue its policy of blocking moves to block Azhar's listing during the second term of Chinese President Xi Jinping, which began over a week ago.
China has, in the past, asked India to discuss the issue directly with Pakistan in order to reach an understanding on the listing.
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