Editorial: Beijing’s duplicity continues

China is at it again. There is a clear pattern to how the Beijing-Islamabad nexus is misusing the international forums to protect terrorist elements operating from Pakistani soil. The latest instance happened at the United Nations when China put a hold on a proposal by India and the United States to list Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Shahid […]

China is at it again. There is a clear pattern to how the Beijing-Islamabad nexus is misusing the international forums to protect terrorist elements operating from Pakistani soil. The latest instance happened at the United Nations when China put a hold on a proposal by India and the United States to list Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Shahid Mahmood as a global terrorist. This was the fourth instance in as many months that Beijing has blocked bids to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists at the world body. China, an all-weather ally of Pakistan, shielded Mahmood from being labelled as a global terrorist under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC. The US Treasury Department designated Mahmood a global terrorist in December 2016. Mahmood is a Karachi-based LeT member since 2007. He is engaged with LeT’s fundraising arm, Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation. He was previously part of LeT’s overseas operations team led by Sajjid Mir. In 2011, Mahmood claimed that LeT’s primary concern should be attacking India and America. The justification that Beijing gives for its stance is totally unacceptable. It defends its actions as so-called technical objections based on procedural loopholes. However, it is an open secret that they are clearly part of a pattern of protecting Pakistan internationally. Earlier in September, China blocked the joint India-US proposal for banning LeT commander Sajid Mir, wanted in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case. Mir is not only on India’s most-wanted list but also has a bounty of $5 million on his head by the US.

China’s consistent strategy to politicise the fight against global terrorism not only exposes its duplicity but also amounts to undermining the sanctity of the United Nations Security Council. In June this year, China shielded Abdul Rehman Makki, who is the brother-in-law of LeT head and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Again in August, China blocked the blacklisting of Jaish-e-Mohammed’s Abdul Rauf Azhar, designated as a terrorist by the US in 2010. Earlier, China protected JeM’s Masood Azhar for 10 years before India got him designated as a global terrorist by the UNSC in 2019. There is a growing realisation among the international community that terrorism is a global menace that demands joint international response and coordination. It cannot be tackled in isolation, nor can it be condemned selectively. The nations which infamously pursue the ‘good terrorist, bad terrorist’ line of policy are bound to swallow their own bitter medicine. It is clear from its track record that Beijing has been misusing its position in the UNSC and abdicating its international responsibility in fighting terrorism. Protecting notorious terrorists from the UN sanctions and other relevant measures has already undermined China’s credibility. Such an approach will only add to the growing list of issues causing discord between India and China. Apart from this, China has been blocking India’s claim over permanent membership in a reformed UNSC.

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