File Photo: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of Pakistani terrorist Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi's release with a senior Chinese leader, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, too, conveyed India's stand to her Chinese counterpart.
China has blocked India's push for action against Pakistan at the United Nations Sanctions Committee for freeing the 26/11 mastermind.
Today, on the sidelines of an international conference in Nepal, Ms Swaraj reportedly told Chinese Foreign minister Wang Yi that China's stand on the matter was at "variance" with the progress in ties between the two countries.
She told the Chinese minister that Lakhvi is "no ordinary terrorist", said External Affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup. "She said both India and China have been victims of terrorism and therefore there should be no distinction made between good terrorists and bad terrorists."
Government officials said Mr Wang has assured that China will look into the matter. "He (Mr Wang) assured that there was no reason why India and China could not cooperate more closely on anti-terrorism efforts," Mr Swarup told reporters.
PM Modi has already expressed India's concern with Zhang Dejiang - the Standing Committee chairman of the National People's Congress -- who was in Delhi last week.
India had sought action against Pakistan on the grounds that it is a violation of a UN resolution dealing with designated entities and individuals. The UN Sanctions Committee, which met earlier this month in New York, was to seek a clarification from Pakistan on Lakhvi's release. But Chinese representatives had blocked the move, saying India did not provide enough information.
Lakhvi, 55, the top commander of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, was arrested in December 2008. But the case against him has made no progress in five years. He was released this April, creating a major point of stress in bilateral relations.