Sushma Swaraj meets Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, raises Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi's issue

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday lodged a protest with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the issue of blocking of India’s move in the United Nations for action against Pakistan over suspected 26/11 mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi’s release.

China’s move was at "variance" with progress in Sino-Indian ties, she said. In a meeting held on the sidelines of an international donors’ conference in Kathmandu, Swaraj told the Chinese foreign minister that Lakhvi was "no ordinary terrorist" as he had planned the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, killing more than 166 people.

PM Narendra Modi had earlier raised with his Chinese counterpart the issue of China blocking India’s move at the UN against Pakistan. "The external affairs minister raised the issue of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi on the stand China has taken on this matter in the United Nations 1267 committee.

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," external affairs ministry’s spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

"She said China’s stand on the matter appears to be at variance with the excellent progress otherwise being achieved in India-China bilateral relationship."