China’s stand on Pakistan terrorism will be clearer at U.N. next week
It all depends on Beijing for the world body to designate JeM founder Masood Azhar a terrorist..
China has described itself as a “friendly neighbour to
India and Pakistan” in the wake of tensions between the two countries,
but its equivocation on terrorism will come to a head at the United
Nations on Monday. A ‘technical hold’ that China put on a move initiated
by India to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) founder Masood Azhar a
terrorist will lapse next week.
China’s move in the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was at the instance of Pakistan,
and unless it positively decides to extend the hold, it expires on
Monday after a six-month period. China can extend the ‘hold’ by three
more months, or block the move altogether.
Another embarrassment for Pakistan?
If
the hold lapses due to Chinese inaction, Azhar will be designated a
terrorist by the U.N. Pakistan will face the embarrassment of hosting
another U.N. designated terrorist and face international pressure for
action against him.
Azhar was among the terrorists
released by India following the hijacking of IC-814 in 1999. India has
named him as the mastermind of the terrorist attack on Pathankot
military base early this year. The JeM is already a designated terrorist
organisation, though its leader is a not a U.N. designated terrorist.
The extent to which Pakistan went to get a Chinese hold on designating
him a terrorist shows how important Azhar is in the Inter Services
Intelligence (ISI) scheme of things, according to Indian diplomats.
Ball in China’s court
All
members of the 15-member Security Council barring China have supported
the move, cosponsored by the United States, the United Kingdom and
France. China has earlier also delayed moves against Pakistan-based
terror groups such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
When
the al-Qaeda, Taliban and the IS Sanctions Committees of the UNSC
meets, they work on the principle of ‘unanimity and anonymity’ – a
single member’s opposition amount to a veto, and the deliberations and
the voting will remain secret. This amounts to allowing a “hidden veto”
for every member of the Council, Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent
Representative of India to the U.N. told an open debate in June, when
the Chinese put the hold.
Earlier this week, the
issue figured in the phone conversation between National Security
Adviser Ajit Doval and his U.S counterpart Susan Rice. According to a
White House statement, Ms. Rice discussed U.S’s commitment with India to
“pursuing peace and regional stability and pledged to deepen
collaboration on counterterrorism matters including on U.N. terrorist
designations.”
Pak must act on such terror: U.S.
The
White House said Ms. Rice “reiterated our expectation that Pakistan
take effective action to combat and delegitimize United
Nations-designated terrorist individuals and entities, including
Lashkar-e-Taiba, JeM, and their affiliates.”
The U.S,
like China, claims to be a friend of both India and Pakistan- a line
that gets repeated every time the question comes up – but the moment at
the UN next week will be one of reckoning for China. India and China had
their maiden counter-terrorism and security dialogue last week, but it
wants to keep the Pakistani military establishment in good humour. How
far will the Pakistani establishment go to protect Azhar, and how far
will China go to accommodate the Pakistani establishment will both be
clearer at the U.N. by next week.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/chinas-stand-on-pakistan-terrorism-will-be-clearer-at-un-next-week/article9169205.ece
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