WASHINGTON: India has des­cribed the Chinese veto of an Indian move in the United Nations as “disappointing” and “incomprehensible”.

On Friday, China put a technical hold on a move in the United Nations to declare Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar an international terrorist. A UN designation would have forced Pakistan to act now and not after completing its investigation into the attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot.

“We are disappointed that a technical hold has been put on India’s application to designate terror leader Masood Azhar in the UN Security Council Committee,” Indian external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup told a news briefing in Washington on Friday afternoon.

“We find it incomprehensible that while the Pakistan-based JeM was listed in UNSC committee as far back as 2001 for its well-known terror activities and links to Al Qaeda, the designation of the group’s main leader, financier and motivator has been put on a technical hold,” he said.

He claimed that Masood Azhar had also planned the Jan 2 terrorist attack in Pathankot, a charge Pakistan is still investigating.

China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Liu Jieyi, rejected the criticism, saying that Mr Azhar did not qualify as a terrorist who would have to face UN sanctions.

Speaking to reporters after assuming the presidency of the Security Council, Mr Liu said Mr Azhar did not meet “the council’s requirem­e­nts” to be considered a terrorist.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2016