Upset with the second extension given to China to continue with its technical hold over India’s application for designating Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a United Nations-proscribed terrorist, India on Thursday slammed the functioning of the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup criticised the “non-transparent and anonymous” manner of designating individuals by the committee and said failing to proscribe Azhar as a terrorist will send a dangerous message.
“Such a designation would help send a strong signal to all terror groups across the world that the international community is no longer going to pursue, or tolerate, selective approaches to terrorism. Distinction between good and bad terrorists is fallacious and counterproductive. Concomitantly, it will also be sending a dangerous message if it fails to act upon India’s submission,” Swarup added.
The 1267 Al Qaeeda’s Sanctions Committee that had banned JeM is yet to sanction the Pakistan-based terrorist Azhar after China’s technical hold on the issue since March 31 this year. China is the only member in the 15-nation committee to put a hold on India’s application despite other 14 members supporting New Delhi’s attempt to put Azhar on the sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban.
New Zealand, which at present is heading the 1267 committee, has conveyed its support to India’s request of listing Azhar. In its capacity as an elected UNSC member, New Zealand said it has noted the limitations of a consensus based approach to decision making in the Sanctions Committees and talked about providing greater flexibility or discretion to the chair in case of non-compliance.
“India would welcome any move which enables functioning of the UN Committee in a manner where political considerations do not hold hostage the designation of known terrorists and change the rule of complete non-transparency and anonymity of this process,” Swarup said.