China's support in Azhar's ban will better ties between two countries: MEA

New Delhi, May 02: Asserting that India does not negotiate with any country on terrorism and on matters related to country's security, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that China's support to Masood Azhar's listing as a global terrorist will contribute to better Sino-India ties.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Pakistan and all the other states are required to take three steps in this situation: freeze the funds, imposing travel ban and arms embargo on Azhar.

"The designation is not based on the basis of a specific incident, but on the basis of evidence which we have shared with members of the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee, linking Azhar to several acts of terrorism," Kumar said at a media briefing.

The MEA spokesperson said that Pulwama terror attack "played a role" in designation of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. However, the UN list is not a "biodata" of Azhar's terror acts, he added.

Asked whether India offered something to China for Azhar's listing, he asserted that India doesn't negotiate on matters related to national security. "Our objective was to ensure designation of Masood Azhar as global terrorist," he said.

In a huge diplomatic victory for India, the UN Sanctions Committee on Wednesday designated Azhar as global terrorist after China lifted its hold on a proposal to ban him.

France, the UK and the US had moved a fresh proposal to declare Azhar as global terrorist by the UN in the wake of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, China put a technical hold on the proposal, blocking it for a fourth time to designate Azhar a global terrorist.India had termed the Chinese move as "disappointing". On Wednesday, China lifted its hold from the proposal.

A UN Security Council (UNSC) designation will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo. An assets freeze under the sanctions committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities.

In 2009, India first moved a proposal by itself to designate Azhar a global terrorist. In 2016 again, India moved the proposal with the P3 -- the United States, the United Kingdom and France -- in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the Pathankot airbase in January 2016.

In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UNSC, blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee.