The proposal, moved by India and co-sponsored by the US had the backing of all members of the UNSC, except China

China has again showed that its fight against terrorism is mere a farse and that it is least bothered about India’s concern about Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, responsible for unaccountable deaths in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India.

This motive was in display when China put a technical hold at the UNSC on the proposal to designate Abdul Rauf Asghar, deputy chief of the outlawed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad and younger brother of Masood Azhar.

Moved by India and co-sponsored by the US, the proposal aimed at listing Abdul Rauf Asghar in the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UNSC. But while China placed a technical hold on the proposal, the rest of 14 members of the UNSC were supportive of the listing proposal, sources said.

Abdul Rauf Asghar is involved in the planning and execution of numerous terror attacks, including the hijacking of Indian Airlines aircraft IC814 (1999), the attack on the Indian Parliament (2001) and the attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot (2016).

This is not the first time that China has obstructed the listing of terrorists in the 1267 Sanctions Committee.

In June 2022, China placed on hold a joint proposal by India and the US to list the deputy chief of the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Abdul Rehman Makki, in the sanctions list.

Makki has been involved in raising funds, recruiting, and radicalising youths to resort to violence and planning attacks in India, including the Mumbai terror attacks (2008).

There is incontrovertible evidence for both these listing proposals. Both individuals have also been sanctioned by the US under its domestic legislation, sources said.

It is unfortunate that the sanctions committee has been prevented from playing its role due to political considerations. China’s actions expose its double speak and double standards when it comes to the international community’s shared battle against terrorism, sources added.

Such politically motivated actions by China, in nearly every listing case of a Pakistan-based terrorist, undermine the entire sanctity of the working methods of the UNSC Sanctions Committees, sources said.