(TibetanReview.net, Feb16’19) – China has on Feb 15 joined other world leaders in condemning a terrorist attack in Pulwama District of the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir but again refused to back New Delhi’s long-standing call on it to list the leader of the Pakistan-based group that claimed responsibility for carrying it out as a global terrorist by the UN. The attack was carried out in Awantipora on Feb 14 by a suicide bomber who drove a vehicle laden with explosives into a bus carrying a group of CRPF paramilitary police personnel in a convoy of 78 vehicles, resulting in 40 being killed and five others injured.
Reports cited official as saying Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group banned by the UN had claimed responsibility for the attack that took place about 20 km from the state capital Srinagar. The suicide bomber was identified as Adil Ahmed, who had joined the group in 2018. Police have since detained seven suspects in the case.
“China has noted the reports of suicide terrorist attack. We are deeply shocked by this attack. We express deep condolences and sympathy to the injured and bereaved families,” the PTI news agency Feb 15 quoted spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry Geng Shuang as saying at a media briefing.
Geng has expressed his criticism of the terror attack in general terms without any reference to the group that claimed the responsibility for it or its top leader Masood Azhar who lives freely in Pakistan which insist there is no evidence against him, rejecting those presented by India.
“We hope relevant regional countries will cooperate to cope with the threat of terrorism and jointly uphold regional peace and stability,” Geng was further quoted as saying.
However, when asked about his government’s stand on listing Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council, he has said, “As for the issue of listing, I could tell you that the 1267 Committee of Security Council has a clear stipulation on the listing and procedure of the terrorist organizations.”
But while admitted that the JeM has been included in the Security Council terrorism sanctions list, Geng has indicated continued adherence to his government’s position that there is no consensus in it on the issue of listing its leader Azhar as a terrorist. And the lack of consensus was mainly because of China’s opposition as a favour to its all-weather friend Pakistan.
