China delays bid by U.S and India to sanction Pakistan military

11/8/2022 6:23

        China delayed on
        Wednesday a proposal by the United States and India to sanction
        at the U.N. Security Council a top commander in the
        Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant group, diplomats
        said.
        
        India and the United States wanted Abdul Rauf Azhar to be
        subjected to a global travel ban and asset freeze. Such a move
        has to be agreed by all 15 members of a Security Council
        sanctions committee.
        
        "We placed a hold because we need more time to study the
        case. Placing holds is provided for by the Committee guidelines,
        and there have been quite a number of similar holds by Committee
        members on listing requests," a spokesperson for China's mission
        to the United Nations told Reuters.
        
        The U.S. Treasury designated Azhar in 2010, accusing him of
        urging Pakistanis to engage in militant activities and organize
        suicide attacks in India.
        
        The United States respects other countries needs to verify
        that a sanctions proposal meets their "domestic evidentiary
        threshold to justify a listing at the U.N.," a spokesperson for
        the U.S. mission to the United Nations said on Wednesday.
        
        "The United States values cooperation with our Security
        Council partners to effectively use this tool in an apolitical
        way to stop terrorists from exploiting the global order to do
        their misdeeds," the spokesperson said.