Prez to nudge China to stop shielding Pak ultras

 President Pranab Mukherjee, who will visit Beijing and Guangzhou next week, is likely to do his bit to nudge China to stop shielding terrorists based in Pakistan from United Nations sanctions.

“India and China both are  huge countries-multicultural, multiracial-if they come together in fighting this menace, I am sure it will have its own impact,” Mukherjee said in an interview to CCTV of China ahead of his forthcoming visit to the communist country. 

“India always believes that every country should have a zero tolerance policy towards terrorism and the fight should be all out,” said Mukherjee, who will commence his four-day visit to China next Tuesday.

Mukherjee stressed on India-China cooperation against terrorism just a few weeks after New Delhi conveyed its disappointment over Beijing’s tacit move at a United Nations Security Council panel to block a plea to impose sanctions on Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Moulana Masood Azhar.

India had moved a fresh plea to a UN panel established under the Security Council’s resolutions 1267, 1989 and 2253 seeking sanctions on Azhar, citing evidences it had to prove his links with the attack on the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot in Punjab.  But the objection from China made it sure that the plea was put on a “technical hold”.

Beijing, an “all-weather friend” of Islamabad, earlier blocked several attempts by New Delhi to get UN sanctions imposed on Azhar and other terrorist leaders based in Pakistan.

“I would say that we have very comprehensive relationship with the People's Republic of China. And we consider it is a very important relationship for us,” said the President