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Reuters
UN — China on Thursday defended a decision by the United States and India at the UN Security Council to postpone a proposal to impose sanctions on the senior commander of a Pakistan-based militant group.
India and the US call for a global travel ban and asset freeze from Abdul Rauf Azhar, commander of the extremist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The move must be agreed by all 15 members of the Security Council's Sanctions Committee.
"We have put the case on hold because we need more time to investigate it. The setting of the hold is governed by the Committee's guidelines, and a significant number of requests for a list by Committee members have been responded to. are being put on hold," a spokeswoman for China's mission to the United Nations told Reuters.
When asked for further comment at a regular briefing in Beijing on Thursday, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry said the sanctions committee, also known as the 1267 Commission, Defend China's track record and don't let the media "speculate".
"China has always participated in the work of the 1267 Commission in a constructive and responsible manner, in strict accordance with the Commission's rules and procedures, and expects other members to do the same. We are,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Wang Wenbin said.
The US Treasury Department designated Al-Azhar in 2010, accusing him of encouraging Pakistanis to engage in extremist activities and to organize suicide attacks in India.
The United States has said it respects other countries' need to ensure that proposed sanctions meet "standards of domestic evidence to justify listing on the United Nations list." A spokesman for the US delegation to the UN said Wednesday.
"The United States, working with its partners on the Security Council, will effectively use this tool in a non-political manner to deter terrorists from exploiting the world order to do evil. We are focused on doing that," the spokesperson said. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; additional reporting by Martin Quinn Pollard in Beijing; editing by Alistair Bell and Mike Harrison)
