UNSC statement names Jaish in Pulwama terror attack, China opposes it: report
22 Feb 2019
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday issued a statement condemning the suicide bombing in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed, and named Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Pakistan-based terror group which claimed responsibility for the attack, despite China's best efforts to stall it, NDTV has reported.
The UN Security Council condemns "in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in over 40 Indian paramilitary forces dead and dozens wounded on February 14, 2019, for which Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility," the statement says.
"All states must, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, cooperate actively with the Government of India and all other relevant authorities in this regard," the statement adds.
The NDTV report citing sources said China repeatedly tried to block the statement from being issued. China did not want a reference to Jaish-e-Mohammed and wanted a reference to what it calls "India-administered Kashmir". They also objected to the portion on "urging all states to cooperate actively with the Government of India".
China, an "all weather" ally of Pakistan, had expressed "deep sympathies" to the families of the 40 CRPF men. In fact, in a condolence message to foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi had said that his country "resolutely opposes and strongly condemns all forms of terrorism", but without naming Pakistan or its terror offshoots.
China has over the years used its veto power to scuttle a move by India at the UN to put Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar on a global terror list.