Days after China blocked India's bid at the United Nations to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a terrorist and place him on the U.N.'s al Qaeda Sanctions Committee, reports said New Delhi would make a fresh request against the Pakistani militant. China said Friday it was in "close communication" with India on its decision to block the latter's request.
India had submitted a formal request to the United Nation's 1267 committee February to include Azhar's name on its sanctions list after accusing him of masterminding the Jan. 2 Pathankot terror attack. China had last week put India's proposal on a technical hold "in consultation" with Pakistan, evoking a sharp reaction from the Indian government.
India is now set to make a second bid to ban Azhar, and will this time add more evidence gathered against him by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), according to the Indian Express. "This time all those details would be included. All evidence that NIA has collected against Azhar will be sent," a security official was quoted as saying.
A special NIA court Friday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Azhar for conspiring with JeM terrorists to attack the Pathankot Air Force base that left seven Indian security personnel dead. The warrant was also issued against Azhar's brother Abdul Rauf and two JeM handlers, according to the Press Trust of India.
Meanwhile, China assured "pragmatic cooperation" against terrorism, and said it was in touch with India on the issue.
"China is opposed to all forms of terrorism and is willing to step up pragmatic cooperation with all countries," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said, according to the Press Trust of India.
"We always keep in close communication with all the countries including India on this issue," he added.
