China says no decision yet on India's United Nations bid to ban Masood Azhar

Beijing: China on Wednesday said it will take “a decision in due course” about the pending application in the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terror group leader Masood Azhar as a terrorist when it comes for a review. “The Chinese side will make the decision in due course,” the Foreign Ministry told PTI about the pending application proposed by the United States, the United Kingdom and France among others in the 1267 anti-terrorism committee of the UN Security Council. [caption id=“attachment_3722805” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Maulana Masood Azhar. Reuters[/caption] Early this year, China had put a six-month technical hold on the application which is expected to come up for review shortly. “We have stated China’s position on the listing of the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council many times” in the past, the ministry said in a written response. China has been blocking India’s move stating that there is no consensus in the UNSC 1267 which enforces a global ban on terror groups and their leaders with affiliations to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State. JeM has already been in the banned list. This is the second-year China has blocked attempts to bring about a UN ban on Azhar which would force Pakistan to act against him. India moved for the UN ban against Azhar in March last year accusing him of masterminding the Pathankot terrorist attack. China first blocked the Indian move for six months followed by three months of technical hold, which ended on 31 December last year leading to the lapse of the application. China was the only member in the 15-nation UN body 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. This year, the US along with the UK and France approached the Committee again for the ban and Beijing once again put a six-month technical hold.