Countries blocking UNSC listings of terrorists a threat: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

NEW DELHI: In a veiled dig at China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said the UNSC listing of terrorists is done as they are a threat to the entire international community but some countries block these listings "at peril to their own interests and their own reputation."

Jaishankar made these remarks at a media briefing following his talks with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. While replying to a question on UNSC proposals being blocked to designate Pakistan-based terrorists, Jaishankar said the listing is done as terrorists are a threat to the entire international community. "Regarding the listing where India and France have cooperated for many years, I think the listing of terrorists is done because the terrorists are a threat to the entire international community," he said.

"So it is not something which countries necessarily do in pursuit of a narrow national agenda. If somebody blocks listing particularly in cases where the merits of going ahead are very apparent, I think they do so frankly at peril to their own interests and their own reputation," he said.

This comes in the backdrop of China blocking a move at the UNSC last month to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) deputy chief Abdul Rauf Azhar as a global terrorist.

China put a technical hold on the joint proposal by India and the US to designate the JeM leader, who is the younger brother of the outfit's chief Masood Azhar. All other 14 member states of the top UN body supported the proposal.

The Chinese action came less than a month after Beijing blocked a similar joint proposal by India and the US to blacklist Pakistan-based deputy leader of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba Abdul Rehman Makki. Makki has been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalizing youths to resort to violence and planning attacks in India, including the Mumbai terror attacks (2008).

Indian Ambassador to UN, Ruchira Kamboj, on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, had said, "It is most regrettable that genuine and evidence-based listing proposals pertaining to some of the most notorious terrorists in the world are being placed on hold. Double standards and continuing politicization have rendered the credibility of Sanctions Regime at an all-time low."

Ruchira Kamboj had said that the practice of placing holds and blocks on listing requests of terrorists without giving any justification must end. (ANI)

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