‘No rhetoric can cover up blood stains’: Jaishankar’s barb at China, Pakistan on terrorism

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday that no rhetoric, however sanctimonious, can ever cover up blood stains and asserted that nations who defend proclaimed terrorists in the UN neither advance their own interests nor their reputation, in a clear signal to China and Pakistan on the issue of terrorism.

In his address to the high-level UN General Assembly session here, Jaishankar said those who politicise the UNSC 1267 Sanctions regime, sometimes even to the extent of defending proclaimed terrorists, do so at their own peril.

“Having borne the brunt of cross-border terrorism for decades, India firmly advocates a ‘zero- tolerance’ approach. In our view, there is no justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of motivation. And no rhetoric, however sanctimonious, can ever cover up blood stains,” he said.

“The United Nations responds to terrorism by sanctioning its perpetrators. Those who politicise the UNSC 1267 Sanctions regime, sometimes even to the extent of defending proclaimed terrorists, do so at their own peril. Believe me, they advance neither their own interests nor indeed their reputation,” he said.

This was strong, though veiled attack against Pakistan and its all-weather ally China, which has on multiple occasions blocked bids and proposals by India and its allies to designate Pakistan-based terrorists under the 1267 sanctions regime of the UN Security Council.

“India has always espoused a cooperative, inclusive, and consultative approach to international relations. We believe that multipolarity, rebalancing, fair globalisation and reformed multilateralism cannot be kept in abeyance,” he said.

India pledges that it will promote greater unity and solidarity. This expresses a coming together on global issues, such as terrorism, pandemics, or the environment, Jaishankar said.

“As the Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee this year, India would be hosting its special meeting in Mumbai and New Delhi. I invite all member states to participate in it. We need to create a global architecture that responds to the new tech tools deployed against open, diverse and pluralistic societies,” he said.

Bids by India, the US and other western allies to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists under the Security Council’s sanctions regime have been blocked and put on hold on various occasions by Islamabad’s all-weather ally and veto-wielding permanent member China in the 15-nation Council.

This month, China has put a hold on a proposal moved at the United Nations by the US and co-supported by India to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, as a global terrorist.

Beijing put a hold on the proposal moved by the US and co-designated by India to blacklist Mir under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council as a global terrorist and subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

Last month, China put a hold on a proposal by the US and India at the United Nations to blacklist Abdul Rauf Azhar, the brother of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) chief Masood Azhar and a senior leader of the Pakistan-based terror organisation.

Abdul Rauf Azhar, born in 1974 in Pakistan, was sanctioned by the US in December 2010. In June this year, China put a hold, at the last moment, on a joint proposal by India and the US to list Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki under the 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.