Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad – which has carried out multiple attacks on India over the last nearly two decades – has claimed responsibility for killing the 40 CRPF personnel in J&K on February 14. But its leader, Maulana Masood Azhar, eludes international sanctions.  

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267: 

• UN Security Council Resolution 1267, prescribes a sanctions regime against designated terrorists and terrorist groups. 
  
  
• In 1999, the U.N. had set up an al-Qaeda/Taliban sanctions committee (UNSCR 1267) to impose strictures on anyone dealing with the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. 
  
  
• It took two years and the 9/11 attacks for the JeM to be designated a terror group by the UNSC 1267 sanctions committee in 2001. 
  
  
• In 2015, the UNSC renamed it as the “ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee” (UNSCR/2253). 
  
  

India’s proposal: 

• In February 2016 after the Pathankot attack, India put forward a proposal to designate Maulana Masood Azhar – the head of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, which was already a banned entity – as a global terrorist under the 1267 regime. 
  
  
• Censuring Azhar would result in freezing his financial assets and cutting off supply of funds to his terror organisation. 
  
  
• However, India’s proposal has been blocked four times by China, most recently in January 2017. 
  
  

Arguments given by China: 

1. The standard argument given by China is that it wants to “uphold the authority and validity of the 1267 Committee”. China argues that there’s no consensus on the proposals within UNSC. 
   
   
2. On Azhar, China insists there isn’t enough evidence to designate him a “global terrorist”, though the rest of the P5 believes otherwise. 
   
   
3. Its veto on Azhar will allow more time for UNSC to deliberate on the matter & for relevant parties to have further consultations. 
   
   

Real Reasons for China’s move: 

But its real reasons are – 

1. To protect Pakistan, its “all weather” ally in South Asia. Infact, Chinese foreign ministry also argues that it supports Pakistan because it’s also a victim of terrorism. 
   
   
2. Good relations with Pakistan, and international protection for ISI proxies like Jaish provide China with insurance against terrorist attacks on CPEC infrastructure and the thousands of Chinese working on them. 
   
   
3. By supporting Pakistan on UNSC Resolution 1267 and blocking India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group by tying its bid to Pakistan’s, China seeks to needle and frustrate India, which it views as a competitor. 
   
   
4. Such tactics are also intended to send out a message to the US, which seeks to build a relationship with India to contain China in the Indo-Pacific. India’s ties to US have fuelled Chinese suspicions and using Azhar could be one way to bait India. 
   
   
5. Pakistan’s support for China within OIC and NAM where China has no representation could be another reason for its support through UNSC veto. 
   
   
6. China has also long grudged India for sheltering Dalai Lama who china considers a ‘Splittist’. 
   
   

India’s reaction: 

• India calls Chinese move as “short-sighted and counter-productive “. India believes that china is trying to protect Pakistan because censuring Azhar will expose Pakistan as a safe haven for terrorists. 
  
  
• The Azhar episode also displayed the limitations of the UNSC'S 1267 committee, showing that the exercise of veto has afflicted the counter-terrorism centre as well. 
  
  
• There is also the Unspoken fact that the India-sponsored Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism has not got anywhere due to global differences on the issue of tackling terrorism. 
  
  
• Seeking reform of the working of the committee, India said the committee was non-transparent and it had to address procedural shortcomings. 
  
  

Way ahead: 

• China should realise that this time, it is not really defensible as JeM have said they were involved. 
  
  
• China’s image will take a beating and the Indian public will have an increasingly negative view of China. Gains from last year’s Wuhan Summit may be lost if public opinion turns against China. 
  
  
• If India still doesn’t agree and if it wants to raise the pitch against China, it could learn from America and initiate action against Chinese companies like Huawei. It will not affect India-China ties, but the overall presence of about China in India will reduce. 
  
  

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-is-china-shielding-jaish-pulwama-attack-5591844/