New Delhi: Within hours, United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will take up a resolution to list the Pakistan based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.
Four permanent members of the council are in favour of the ban, barring China. The Chinese can use their veto power in the Security Council to block any attempts to ban Masood Azhar.
It is common knowledge that Masood Azhar began the JeM with the blessings of no other than Osama bin Laden. The US, France, Britain and Russia know all too well the threat Masood Azhar possess to the security of the region.
Earlier, India had provided enough evidence of Masood Azhar’s involvement in many major terror attacks in India, including the Parliament attack. However, the Chinese have taken a stubborn stance and vetoed each attempt to ban Masood Azhar. While all the other members of the Security Council are convinced of India’s position, the Chinese have quoted technicalities to veto the ban.
Masood Azhar is a high profile terrorist for Pakistan in its grand design to ‘bleed India with a thousand cuts’. He is given a free hand in Pakistani territory from where he leads JeM to attack India.
China just cannot disappoint their ‘all-weather friend’ Pakistan who has used its influence with the Chinese top leadership to block the ban on Azhar. The Chinese need Pakistan more than ever to counter the growing influence of India under Narendra Modi.
They will go to any extent to fulfil Pakistan’s wishes.
Another major reason for Chinese love for Masood Azhar is the strategic position of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through Pakistan where the terror chief has huge clout. The Chinese wants protection for their ambitious project and shielding Masood Azhar is the ‘protection money’ they are paying to keep their economic interest from being hampered by terrorist threats.
Besides, the Chinese are already fighting Islamic terrorists in the Xinjiang province and they do not want to escalate the issue further.
Masood Azhar is an asset for the Chinese. They can use him to control the geopolitical stability of the region. His wide networks inside the global terrorist enterprise are an asset for the Chinese and can be used to protect their interests.
Even though Russia has promised to use its influence over China to bring them around to support the ban, it is hard to imagine that China will abandon Masood Azhar.
The Chinese are suspicious of a rising India. They will use every trick in the book to keep India weak and they know that the terror chief can be used to do just that.
