UNITED NATIONS: India has told the UN Security Council that blocking evidence-based proposals for blacklisting globally sanctioned terrorists without giving justifications is uncalled for and “smacks of doublespeak”, a thinly-veiled reference to China and Pakistan.
“The working methods of the UNSC Sanctions Committees continue to dent the credibility of the UN Security Council,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said here on Tuesday.
Speaking in the Security Council’s open debate on Working Methods, Kamboj said, “Genuine, evidence-based listing proposals for globally sanctioned terrorists to be blocked without giving any due justification is uncalled for and smacks of doublespeak when it comes to Council’s commitment in tackling the challenge of terrorism.”
She stressed that the working methods of Sanctions Committees must emphasise transparency, and objectivity in listing and delisting and should not be based on political considerations.
Kamboj’s remarks were a veiled reference to China and its all-weather friend Pakistan.
Beijing has repeatedly placed holds and blocks on bids by India and its allies to list Pakistan-based terrorists.
The latest example came in June this year when China blocked a proposal by India and the US under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, as a global terrorist.
Kamboj highlighted that India, an eight-term elected member of the UNSC, has some key concerns about the need to improve the working methods of the Security Council.