‘Positive progress’ made on listing of Azhar: China

By Gaurav Sharma

Beijing, April 1 (IANS) China on Monday said that it has made "positive progress" with other parties on the issue of declaring Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist, but warned that the US-proposed draft resolution on it will only complicate the matter.

Beijing also said the US was aware of the progress but still wanted to bypass the UN 1267 terror panel and push the draft resolution through the Security Council.

"After the application of designation (of Azhar) was proposed at the committee, China has been in close communication and coordination with various parties. As I said we have been working with various parties and (our efforts) has made some positive progress. The US side knows that very well," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said here.

"China has been working with various parties and is making progress. The US knows that very well. But under such circumstances, the US is still pushing the Security Council to adopt a draft resolution," the spokesperson added.

Last week, Washington circulated the self-proposed draft in the UN Security Council to declare Azhar a terrorist after China for the fourth time put a technical hold on the resolution moved by the US, the UK and France at the 1267 Committee last month.

China slammed the US move, saying it had undermined the authority of the 1267 Committee and would complicate the matter.

China has repeatedly blocked resolutions moved by India, the US, the UK, and France at the UN to declare Azhar an international terrorist, who is wanted for plotting deadly attacks in India.

Last month, India lamented and the US slammed the latest technical hold by China on the resolution to ban Azhar. His outfit JeM claimed responsibility for killing 40 Indian security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir in February.