Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui on Sunday told ANI that he is optimistic that the matter related to Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar will be resolved. China had once again blocked India’s attempt to get Azhar get designated a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council last week.
“Regarding Masood Azhar, we fully understand,” Luo said. “We understand India’s concerns and are optimistic this matter will be resolved. This is only a technical hold, which means there is time for continued consultations. It will be resolved, believe me.”
“After the Wuhan summit last year [between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping], two-way cooperation is again on the fast track,” Luo added. “We are so satisfied with the cooperation that we are optimistic about future cooperation.”
The Jaish-e-Mohammad extremist group claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on February 14, which killed 40 soldiers of the Central Reserve Police Force. It is also accused of masterminding the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, and the attack on the Pathankot airbase in 2016.
The proposal to designate Azhar a terrorist under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by the United States, the United Kingdom and France on February 27, two weeks after the Pulwama attack. However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the technical hold has been enforced to ensure that Beijing has enough time to study the matter.
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