China Delays US, India's Proposal To Sanction Pak-Based JeM Terrorist At UNSC

Abdul Azhar was to be subject to a global travel restriction and asset freeze, as requested by India and the US. A Security Council sanctions committee's 15 members must all consent to such a move.

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China on Wednesday postponed a move by the United States and India to ban a major terrorist from the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist organisation before the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), according to the diplomats, news agency Reuters reported.

Abdul Rauf Azhar was to be subject to a global travel restriction and asset freeze, as requested by India and the US. A Security Council sanctions committee's 15 members must all consent to such a move.

"We placed a hold because we need more time to study the case. Placing holds is provided for by the Committee guidelines, and there have been quite a number of similar holds by Committee members on listing requests," a spokesperson for China's mission to the United Nations informed Reuters.

Azhar was designated by the US Treasury in 2010, accusing him of encouraging Pakistanis to engage in terrorist activities and plot suicide strikes in India.

The United States respects other countries needs to verify that a sanctions proposal meets their "domestic evidentiary threshold to justify a listing at the U.N.," a spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations was quoted by Reuters in its report. 

"The United States values cooperation with our Security Council partners to effectively use this tool in an apolitical way to stop terrorists from exploiting the global order to do their misdeeds," the spokesperson said.

(With Inputs From Reuters)