After Blocking India's Vote On Jaish Chief, China Suggests 'Talk To Pak'

New Delhi: After blocking a move by India to have Pakistani Masood Azhar declared a terrorist with concomitant UN sanctions against him, China has said that Delhi and Islamabad should arrive at a solution through "direct" and "serious consultations".

"We encourage all parties related to the listing matter of Masood Azhar to have direct communication and work out a solution through serious consultations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a written communication to news agency PTI.

India has strongly objected to China's "hidden veto" which was exercised at the last minute to prevent Azhar, the chief of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, from being designated a terrorist by a UN Sanctions Committee.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj shared India's protest when she met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow last week. Azhar's status was also raised today as Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar met his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry in Delhi. India has blamed Azhar for January's deadly terror strike at the air force base in Pathankot where seven military personnel were killed.

China was alone among the five members with a veto right on the 15-member UN Security Council to act against India's move on Azhar. Beijing insisted it had acted in accordance with the rules.

Yesterday, India cancelled a visa it had issued just days ago to an exiled leader whom China has declared a terrorist. Dolkun Isa, a Uighur leader, was to attend a conference this month in Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama lives. The withdrawal of the visa was attributed by the Home Ministry to "a red corner notice" or international arrest warrant against Mr Isa, but Beijing has confirmed it had protested to India about the visa.

China blames unrest that has killed hundreds of people in its far western province of Xinjiang on Islamist militants looking to establish an independent state for the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority.