
China denies it is shielding Masood Azhar
Why is it in news?
- China dismissed allegations that it was sheltering terrorists by placing a “technical hold” on listing Masood Azhar, head of the banned Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammad, as a global terrorist.
More in news
- Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had criticised China’s policy.
- China has emphasised that the purpose of its “technical hold” is to allow more discussion on the issue in order to achieve a consensus-based settlement.
- China has on four occasions placed a ‘technical hold’ on designating Azhar as a global terrorist.
- China stood out as the only country in the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council to effectively block a resolution on banning Azhar piloted by the U.S., France and Britain, following last month’s Pulwama terror attack.
- U.S. Secretary of State had said that China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other, it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN.
Source
The Hindu