China has put a hold in the UN at the last moment on a joint proposal by India and the US to list Pakistan-based militant Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist under the Al Qaida sanctions committee of the Security Council.
Makki is a US-designated terrorist and brother-in-law of Lashkar-e-Tayiba chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed.
Makki, 74, also known as Abdulrahman Maki, has occupied various leadership roles within LeT, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation. Both India and the US have already listed Makki as a terrorist under their domestic laws.
On June 1, India and the US jointly proposed to list Makki under the UN Security Council's Al-Qaeda and ISIL Sanctions Committee which is also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee.
But, China, a close ally of Pakistan, placed a "technical hold" on the proposal to list Makki and this measure can last for up to six months at a time.
All decisions of the Committee are taken through consensus.
In New Delhi, government sources said China's decision runs counter to Beijing's claim of combating terrorism and signals its "double standards".
He has been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalising youths to resort to violence and planning attacks in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.
Protecting well-known terrorists from sanctioning will only undermine China's credibility and "risk exposing" even itself more to the growing threat of terrorism, they said.
"This decision by China is extremely unfortunate given the overwhelming evidence against Makki. Moreover, it runs counter to China's claims of combating terrorism," said a source.
In Beijing, the Chinese foreign ministry on Friday defended its move, saying that its actions were in accordance with the relevant procedures and rules.
"I would like to say that China opposes terrorism in all its manifestation and the actions we take in the 1267 committee in the UNSC always abide by relevant procedures and rules," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said when asked why China chose to put a hold on designating the known Pakistan-based terrorist.
"China will continue to carry out its work in a constructive and responsible attitude," he said.
Asked to elaborate on his comments, especially on procedures and rules, Wang declined to go into details.
"I have already shared China's position quite clearly. I won't go back to that," he said.
Responding to another question about whether China's stand to put a hold on the designation of the wanted terrorist will add to the growing list of issues causing discord between India and China, he said: "I have already elaborated China's position and as to the China-India relations, our position is clear and consistent".
"We hope that India and China can work together and promote the relations to be more sound and stable," Wang said, amidst a chill in bilateral ties over the unresolved military standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Earlier also, China has placed holds and blocks on bids by India and its allies to list Pakistan-based terrorists.
In May 2019, India had won a huge diplomatic win at the UN when the global body designated Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a "global terrorist�, a decade after New Delhi had first approached the world body on the issue.
A veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, China was the sole hold-out in the 15-nation body on the bid to blacklist Azhar, blocking attempts by placing a "technical hold".
In 2009, India had moved a proposal by itself to designate Azhar.
In 2016 again India moved the proposal with the P3 -- the US, the UK and France in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January 2016.
In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions, China blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the sanctions committee.
Keeping up the international pressure to designate Azhar as a global terrorist, the US, supported by France and the UK, had moved a draft resolution directly in the UN Security Council to blacklist him.
In November 2010, the US Department of the Treasury had designated Makki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
As a result of this designation, among other consequences, all property, and interests in property, of Makki that are subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with Makki.
"In addition, it is a crime to knowingly provide, or attempt or conspire to provide, material support or resources to the Foreign Terrorist Organisation LeT," the US said.
The US department of state's Rewards for justice programme is offering a reward of up to $2 million for information on Makki.
He has also played a role in raising funds for LeT operations.
