US makes a request to China over JeM Chief Masood Azhar terror listing at UNSC
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WASHINGTON - The United States has urged China to not block Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar listing as global terrorist at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting to be held today over Azhar's designation.
At the behest of Pakistan, China has previously stonewalled efforts to designate theterror outfit's chief as a global terrorist at the UNSC by putting technical holds.
Following the Pulwama attack link out by the JeM in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir which killed over 40 soldiers, three of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, the UK, and France – have initiated renewed efforts to get Azhar proscribed.
China, on the other hand, has not outrightly supported the move until now.
"I would say that the United States and China share a mutual interest in achieving regional stability and peace and that a failure to designate Masood Azhar would run counter to this goal," Robert Palladino, the US Department of State's Deputy Spokesperson stated on Tuesday.
"JeM is a United Nations-designated terrorist group. Azhar is the founder and the leader of JeM, and he meets the criteria for designation by the United Nations.
JeM has been responsible for numerous attacks and is a threat to regional stability and peace," Palladino said at a media briefing.
