The United States has asserted that it would utilise "all available avenues" to ensure that Azhar is held accountable by the UNSC, witnessing China opposing attempts to push through a resolution proscribing the terrorist.
The world, except Pakistan and China, wants the globally banned terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) founder, Masood Azhar, to be declared as designated global terrorist. The concern has sparked a debate even at the United Nation Security Council (UNSC).
The United States has asserted that it would utilise "all available avenues" to ensure that Azhar is held accountable by the UNSC, witnessing China opposing attempts to push through a resolution proscribing the terrorist. "We can confirm that we circulated a draft UNSC resolution with the UK and French support," the US State Department spokesperson said.
The State Department spokesman insisted that Washington wants to route its move to brand Azhar a UN-designated terrorist through the committee. "While we strongly prefer that UNSC designations take place through the committee process, the United States and its allies and partners, including those on the… Security Council, will utilise all available avenues to ensure that the founder and leader of the UN designated terrorist organisation JeM is held accountable by the international community," the spokesman added.
The assertion was made after witnessing China putting a technical hold on proceedings against Azhar. The USA, on March 27, circulated a draft resolution to the 15-nation UNSC to blacklist the JeM chief and enforce curbs on his travel, asset ownership and access to arms. Seeing this, China warned that the USA's move could complicate an already tense situation in South Asia.
Also Read: Masood Azhar, an Architect Of Terror
"We hope that South Asia could maintain peace and stability and we hope India and Pakistan will engage in dialogue, and resolve outstanding issues," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.
On March 13, China put a technical hold on a French proposal to list Azhar under the UNSC 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee and asked for more consultations before bringing the matter to the UNSC for voting. China has claimed that they have taken a "constructive and reasonable stand" on the issue. This was the fourth time that China blocked a move at the UN Security Council to sanction Azhar.
France has moved the proposal before UNSC after India approached the international community, exposing JeM and its chief's role in the terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed. India handed over a dossier to Pakistan showing Azhar's specific role in the attack.
Last week, France imposed sanctions on JeM chief Masood Azhar, even as UNSC to bring the terrorist leader under global sanctions was blocked by China.
The decision by the French government might eventually lead to the European Union (EU) designating Masood Azhar as "an individual involved in terrorist acts" and imposing "restrictive measures" on him, including freezing of financial assets linked to him and to the people and organisations providing financial support to him or his terror organisation or any of its fronts from any member nation of the bloc. France will use the decree to prod the European Union to put the JeM chief on its list of "persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts", French Embassy said in New Delhi.
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