China has defended its move to repeatedly block India's attempt to get Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Azhar Masood designated as global terrorist by the United Nations (UN).
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the issue lacks 'consensus' among the members of the UN Security Council as well as the 'directly concerned' parties - India and Pakistan.
"If all parties come to a consensus, we will support it. But it is the parties that are rightly concerned who are not coming around to the same conclusion, like India and Pakistan don't have the same conclusions," Wang said on in response to a question on China defending Pakistan-based terrorist in the UNSC at a conference organised by the American think-tank, Council on Foreign Relations.
Azhar is accused of several deadly terrorist attacks in India, including one on the Uri military base in Kashmir in 2016 in which 17 security personnel were killed.
The JeM, founded by Azhar, has already been in the UN's list of banned terror outfits.
A veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India's move - supported by the US, Britain and France - to designate Masood a terrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.
Wang, who is currently in New York to attend the 73rd annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, argued that listing of terrorists should be based on proof and claimed that there is not enough evidence against Masood.
"Whether these people are terrorists or not, there should be solid facts and proof. If there is irrefutable evidence, no one can turn its back on it. I don’t think Pakistan will do that," he asserted.
(With inputs from PTI)
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