India lodges protest against China’s stand on banning Masood Azhar

India today hit out at China for its remarks that there was no consensus over the US’ proposal to ban Pathankot attack mastermind and JeM chief Masood Azhar at the UN, saying if there is a change in the Chinese position, there will be a consensus as well.

India has issued a demarche to China, protesting its stand to block a UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.

In this file photo taken on February 4, 2000, Masood Azhar, head of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, group addresses a press conference in Karachi. (AFP)

The MEA said on Thursday demarches had been given to the Chinese embassy in New Delhi and in the foreign office in Beijing by the Indian embassy. External affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup also said the matter has been taken up with the Chinese ambassador here and a similar demarche is being made in Beijing.

He said the proposal was not moved by India but by three permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, the UK and France, adding it was “a classic counter-terrorism proposal” and hoped that China will also come around to accept this view.

“It is our understanding that this was a classic counter- terrorism proposal meant to proscribe a dreaded terrorist leader Masood Azhar whose organisation the Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been proscribed by the UN 1267 Committee.

“We don’t view this as a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan but as an issue of global counter terrorism. We hope that eventually China will also come around to accepting this view. Obviously, if there is a change in the Chinese position, there will be consensus also,” he said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang had also told a media briefing in Beijing that his government resorted to this move to allow the “relevant parties” to reach a consensus.

“We put out technical hold after we had several rounds of consultations with India. We hope relevant parties have enough time to consult with each other to make sure that the decision made by the Committee will be based on consensus representing the broad international community,” Kang said.

China stalled the US-initiated proposal, which comes barely weeks after India’s bid to get Azhar banned by the UN was scuttled by Beijing last December. This prompted India to take up the matter with the Chinese government.

(With inputs from agencies)