Beijing, June 7

In a rare rebuke to its “all weather” ally Pakistan, China’s state-run channels have aired a documentary naming Lashkar-e-Toiba for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and even showed footage containing confessions of Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistan terrorist caught alive during the 26/11 carnage.The footage was first aired by the state-run Shanghai Television weeks ahead of President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit last month and was subsequently shown by another state-run Chinese television channel, officials here said.The documentary containing vivid details of planning and execution of the Mumbai attacks by LeT militants caught Indian officials here by surprise as Chinese state media shows extreme care and caution in airing negative news about ally Pakistan.The state media, however, refrained from allegations that militants of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) from Muslim-majority Xinjiang province had training bases in Pakistan’s tribal areas.“We have to wait and see what the significance of the documentary on LeT on Chinese state television is,” an Indian diplomat, who has seen the programme, told PTI.It was a surprise as China had earlier blocked India’s bid to get a UN ban on LeT operational commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attack. China had put a technical hold when India sought a ban on him after he was released from prison. Officials say the airing of the footage against LeT’s involvement in Mumbai attacks comes at a time when technical holds put in by China in the UN sanctions committee on some of the LeT leaders was set to expire shortly. — PTI

The significance

• The shift in China’s stance comes ahead of expiry of Beijing’s decision to place on technical hold the listing of three LeT and JuD militants — Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, Talha Saeed and Hafiz Abdul Rauf — on June 9
• China had also blocked India’s bid to get UN ban on Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi (LeT chief) and Pathankot attack plotter Masood Azhar (JeM chief)