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.
