NEW DELHI: Throwing its weight behind India, the US on Tuesday moved the
United Nations for banning
Pathankot attack mastermind and Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief
Masood Azhar
.
The US, supported by the UK and
France , moved a proposal to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the Sanctions Committee of the
UN Security Council, but it has
once again been opposed by China .
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.
"However, China opposed the US move by putting a hold on the proposal," a source said, adding the Chinese action came just before the expiry of the 10-day deadline for any proposal to be adopted or blocked or to be put on hold.
The 'hold' remains for six months and can be further extended by three months. During this period, it can be anytime converted into a 'block', thereby, ending the life of the proposal.
Reacting to China's move to block the ban proposal, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "We've been informed of this development and the matter has been taken up with the Chinese government."
After the
attack on the IAF base at Pathankot in January last year, India in February wrote to the UN calling for immediate action to list Azhar under the al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.
The efforts faced stiff opposition by China, which twice put a "technical hold" before finally blocking the Indian proposal in December. The Chinese opposition is also seen by many as an action taken at the behest of its "all-weather ally" Pakistan.
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