29 March 2019•Update: 30 March 2019
KARACHI, Pakistan
China is unlikely to retreat from its opposition to a U.S.-sponsored draft resolution at the UN Security Council (UNSC) to designate the leader of a Pakistan-based militant outfit a global terrorist, according to a Pakistani analyst.
The U.S proposed a draft resolution with the UNSC to blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar after a previous move backed by the U.K. and France was blocked by Beijing in the 1267 Sanctions Committee earlier this week.
China has long used its veto against past U.S.-sponsored moves and has recently urged Washington to "act cautiously" on the issue and avoid bypassing the committee -- a forum for preliminary discussion and consensus before a resolution is tabled in the Security Council.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Thursday said that the U.S. move would only complicate the issue.
"China’s stakes are high as it has gone too far on this issue," Shamshad Ahmad Khan, Pakistan’s former Foreign Secretary, told Anadolu Agency in an interview.
"Now, it is very difficult and unlikely for Beijing to retreat from its stand no matter how far Washington pushes," he said.
Ikram Sehgal, a Karachi-based defense analyst voiced a similar view, arguing Beijing would not let this resolution pass.
"Pakistan has long been an important pillar of China’s security and foreign policy. It will never let down Pakistan, at least publicly," Sehgal -- an editor of a reputed periodical on security -- told Anadolu Agency.
India accuses Azhar of colluding with Pakistani intelligence agencies in a deadly attack on a military convoy in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed over 40 Indian troops.
The brazen attack almost brought the two nuclear-armed neighbors on the verge of the fourth war, which was contained by a large-scale international diplomatic initiative involving the U.S., Russia, China, U.K., Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Pakistan, which denies the charges, launched a fresh crackdown on banned militants, including members of the JeM across the country and arresting dozens of members, including a brother and son of its leader earlier this month.
However, there is no official word on the whereabouts of the leader of the group which has been proscribed in Pakistan since 2002.
In February, Islamabad froze assets of dozens of proscribed outfits and individuals across the country under an order from the UNSC.
Last month, the government took control of a religious seminary (madrassa) in northeastern Bahawalpur city, which was claimed to be serving as the JeM’s headquarters.
China and Pakistan are involved in multiple large projects related to investment and defense, including the $64 billion deal China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Russia’s role
Analysts reckon that Washington’s latest push should not be seen in isolation of its deepening differences with China and Russia on several issues, particularly in Venezuela and Syria.
Khan asserted that besides China, Russia’s position on the issue would be equally important, though it has so far remained neutral on the issue, Khan said, adding that he believed Moscow would side with Beijing.
"Pakistan and India are not the main players," he said, arguing that the superpowers would use the issue to test each other’s capabilities.
Khan claimed that the U.S. resolution would not turn out to be anything more than a consultative process in the Security Council as only one veto was enough to thwart the move.
"And one veto is already there, even if Russia distances itself from the process," he added.
Sehgal asserted that Washington itself knew that this resolution could not be passed because of China’s firm stance.
"The sole purpose of the U.S. move is to appease India and embarrass China," he maintained.
