India refuses to provide evidence against JeM Chief Masood Azhar to China

India refuses to provide evidence against JeM Chief Masood Azhar to China
Delhi: Reacting to China's "solid evidence" demand, Indian Foreign Secretary  S Jaishankar said on Wednesday that the extent of JeM  Masood Azhar's actions were "well documented" and the "burden of proof" was not on India.

On the issue of 1267 Committee's sanctions on Masood Azhar, we again explained the rationale for that application and pointed out that this was really pursued by other countries, not by India alone," Jaishankar said, referring to the US' application backed by the UK and France this year to designate Azhar as a global terrorist.

On the Chinese Foreign Ministry calling for "solid eveidence" to get Azhar banned, Jaishankar said, "in the case of Azhar, Jaish itself is proscribed under 1267. So the proof is in (the) 1267 Committee action. In this case what he has done, extent of his actions are well-documented."

"Also the proposal in question this time is not moved by us. It is not that the burden of proof is on India to convince. The sponsors seem to be very well convinced, otherwise they would not have taken the initiative to move the proposal," he said.

About China saying that there is no consensus on the issue, the Foreign Secretary said, "there is no consensus because China has not joined it", as per PTI.

Since the 1267 Committee proceedings are not public, he said, "Our understanding is that there is overwhelming support in the 1267 (Committee). This (is) what we are told".

"Other countries should be asked. The 1267 Committee is not for public. Our understanding (is that) there is overwhelming support in the 1267 (Committee). This (is) what we are told," Jaishankar said.

 "I would say, overall, I felt my visit was certainly useful in conveying to the Chinese side our concerns and priorities and gaining from them an appreciation and their understanding of the world situation and in what manner we could work together," he said.