'Most uncalled for': India flays Chinese 'hold' on global listing of Pak-based terrorist Abdul Rauf Asghar

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, August 12

India on Saturday brushed aside China’s explanation that it had placed a hold on the listing of a notorious Pakistan-based terrorist as it needed more time to assess the case.

Abdul Rauf Asghar has been proscribed under Indian and US laws already, and therefore the placing of the “technical hold” against such wanted terrorist is “most uncalled for”, said MEA spokesman on China’s second hold in three months against the global list of a Pakistan-based terrorist.

Significantly, barring China all the other 14 members of the UNSC were agreeable to the listing of Asghar. In June too, China placed on hold a joint proposal by India and the US to list Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) deputy chief Abdul Rehman Makki.

The man in question, Abdul Rauf Asghar, the Deputy Chief of Jaish e Mohammed (JeM), a UN-proscribed entity, was actively involved in the hijacking of Indian Airlines IC 814 in 1998, as well the terror attacks on Parliament in 2001, Army camp in Kathua in 2014 and IAF base in Pathankot in 2016, said Bagchi.

The discord over Asghar is one among the many issues of contention that have cropped up between India and China in recent times amidst the stalemate at the LAC.

The MEA also pushed back at insinuations over an Indian hand in Sri Lanka’s denial of docking facilities to a China research vessel. “We reject the insinuations in the statement about India. Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and makes its own independent decisions,’’ said Bagchi.

Asked whether India had security concerns over the Chinese ship’s now-cancelled port visit, he said, “This is the sovereign right of every country. We will make the best judgment in our own interest. This naturally takes into account the prevailing situation in our region, especially in the border areas.’’

On Chinese objections regarding a high altitude Indo-US Army exercise close to the middle sector of the LC, Bagchi said, “We have consistently emphasised the necessity of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests as a basis for the development of ties.’

There should be no double standards in dealing with terrorists. …..The practice of placing holds and blocks without giving any justification must end. 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 politicisation have rendered the credibility of the UN Sanctions Regime at an all-time low: India’s Permanent Representative at the UN Ruchika Kamboj