India asks China to support efforts to declare Jaish Chief Masood Azhar a terrorist

This was conveyed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh when he met Chinese Politburo Member and Secretary of Central Political and Legal Affairs Committee Meng Jianzhu in New Delhi.

Raising India's concerns on terrorism, the Home Minister appealed to the Chinese leader to support the international community's efforts to designate Masood Azhar, chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, as a dreaded terrorist under the UN Resolution 1267.

China has twice blocked India's efforts to include Azhar, alleged mastermind of the terror attacks on Pathankot air base and an army camp in Uri, on the UN's sanctions list containing names of individuals and groups linked to the Al Qaeda or ISIS.

Underlining that Pakistan is patronising and financing terrorist groups, Mr Singh said leaders of terrorist groups including JeM leader Azhar, Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen leader Salahuddin roam freely in Pakistan and preach terrorism.

Even Tehreek-e-Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, blamed for terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, were financed and sponsored by the ISI, he told the Chinese leader, who is a top aide of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Pointing out that there can be no good or bad terrorist, the Home Minister said terrorism is not one or another country's problem, rather it is a threat to global peace and security.

The Home Minister also solicited Beijing's support to flush out ULFA leader Paresh Barua, who is believed to be taking refuge in the tri-junction between India, Myanmar and China, to face trial in India for heinous crimes including murder.

Singh also asked China to clamp down on arms smuggling to insurgent groups operating in India's North-East, a Home Ministry official said.

Referring to the recent arrest of a Pakistani national in Guangzhou with fake Indian currency, Mr Singh asked Beijing to clamp down on Pakistan's nefarious designs to smuggle fake Indian currency into India through China.