China blocks India's plea to UN against Pak on Lakhvi

China has scuttled India’s bid to get the United Nations to act against Pakistan over the recent release on bail of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander and 26/11 mastermind Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi, who was designated by the international organisation’s Security Council in 2008 as a terrorist linked to al-Qaeda.

Beijing’s move to tacitly shield its “all-weather friend” Islamabad came just five weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang “reiterated their strong condemnation of and resolute opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and committed themselves to cooperate on counter-terrorism”.

Modi had taken up the Lakhvi issue during his meeting with Li in Beijing on May 15, requesting Beijing’s support to India’s bid to get the UN to act against Pakistan for allowing the mastermind of the November 26-28, 2008, terrorist attacks in Mumbai walk free.

Beijing’s move to scuttle India’s effort surprised New Delhi, which had asked the UNSC's al-Qaeda sanctions committee to act against Islamabad after a court in Pakistan released the LeT commander on bail on April 9.

Beijing, however, blocked the move, with its representative in the committee arguing during a recent meeting of the panel that the Indian government had not provided sufficient information.

India earlier argued that Lakhvi’s release on bail had followed the Pakistan government’s failure to build a strong case against him, although Islamabad had been provided enough evidences to prove he had not only hand-picked 10 terrorists, but also coordinated the 26/11 attack and had been in touch with the gunmen as they went on a shooting spree in Mumbai, killing over 174 people.