It’s the same old story as China has once again showed its
intent on which side of terror it stands.
Once again, it has torpedoed the United Nations efforts to ban
Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar. It
has been proved beyond doubt that China can’t be a trusted ally in the global
war against terrorism. China’s action is
in direct contrast to the position it has maintained publicly that it is
opposed to any form of terrorism. The raison
d'être behind China’s avid desire to protect Jaish chief is beyond explanation.
Is it only to help its staunchest ally Pakistan or something else?
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| pix courtesy: nation.com.pk |
China has pumped in billions of dollars in Pakistan and
continues to do so. Its biggest ever infrastructure development plan –
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor – itself is worth close to 60 billion dollars.
Moreover, over 30,000 Chinese people, including engineers and construction
workers, are posted there. China apprehends that its projects could be in
jeopardy if it signaled any change in its policy vis-à-vis Masood Azhar. In the
past, several Chinese engineers involved in the project have been attacked and
abducted, and later released by militants active in the restive Balochistan
following intervention by Pakistan. That seems to be the prominent concern of
China. In preventing the Pakistan-based terrorist from being declared as a
global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council, China is, in fact,
protecting its assets and interests, more than anything else.
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| pix courtesy: en.dailypakistan.com.pk |
China’s opposition to proscribing Azhar is baffling given
that Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been blacklisted by the 15-nation Security
Council of which China is one of the five permanent members. The Jaish was
blacklisted by the UN Security Council in 2001, a year after its formation,
following a deadly attack on Indian parliament in December 2001, which had
brought India and Pakistan on the verge of a fourth war. Strangely, China
considers JeM an outlawed organization, but not its leader? There seems to be
serious defect in the original charter of the United Nations which gave special
powers to the P-5 countries. There is an urgent need for immediate
rectification of this rule. Otherwise, any one permanent nation can keep on foiling
adoption of any resolution. The best way is to introduce the rule of the
majority within the five permanent members, otherwise, the international
community would always be found wanting in arriving at any decision due to contradicting
stand by one or other countries.
This is the fourth time that China has blocked a combined
bid by the United States, France and the United Kingdom to declare Azhar a
global terrorist by putting the proposal on a “technical hold” before
eventually terminating it on the grounds that “there is no consensus” in the
1267 Committee of the UN Security Council.
How can there be a consensus if one country (read China) continues with
its unprincipled stand on Azhar? In 2017 also, it was the odd nation out in the
15-member Security Council when the P3 nations – the US, UK and France – sought
to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would have entailed his travel
ban and freezing of assets. While the proposal had approval of all the other 14
members of the Security Council, it was China which censored it. Needless to
say, China is misusing its veto power.
China’s opposition to proscribing Azhar is baffling given that Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been blacklisted by the 15-nation Security Council of which China is one of the five permanent members. China considers JeM an outlawed organization, but not its leader?
The dichotomy between China’s alleged commitment to fight
terrorism and its action is quite evident as it is a signatory to the Xiamen
Declaration signed in September 2017 at the 9th BRICS summit in the Chinese
city of Xiamen. The Xiamen Declaration had called upon the international
community to establish a "genuinely broad" international counter-terrorism
coalition. Moreover, it was also a party to a decision of the five-member BRICS
nations summit in Xiamen which had called for decisive action against militant
groups based in Pakistan terming them as a security concern in the region. Some
of the groups mentioned in the declaration included Taliban (Islamic State)...,
Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. The last two groups have been
involved in several deadly attacks against India, including the latest one in
Pulwama in which at least 40 paramilitary soldiers were martyred in a suicide
attack, and which was claimed by Jaish.
What is China’s compulsion in protecting Azhar, who is, no
doubt, a prized asset for Pakistan? Well, if the United Nations declares Azhar
a global terrorist, then Pakistan will be compelled to arrest him and seize his
assets. And this is something the Imran
Khan government can’t afford to do fearing violence by an army of militants
prepared by Azhar. Besides, Azhar has deep influence in the rural pockets of
the country through his seminaries. His popularity soared during the
devastating earthquake in 2005 when his seminaries provided financial and
medical assistance to the affected people while the government agencies were
found lacking in evacuation and rehabilitation works. Secondly and most
importantly, he enjoys the support of the Pakistani army. Does Imran Khan, who
himself has been propped up by the army, have the guts to go after Azhar? Your
guess is as good as mine.
China, too, is aware of the predicament of its all-weather ally. Therefore, it has been repeatedly blocking
any attempt to outlaw Azhar even at the expense of its own image. But while
doing so, China risks global isolation.
