India Rejects Pakistan-China Push to Soften Terror Stance at SCO Summit
NEW DELHI: At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defense ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China, India took a resolute stand against a joint statement on terrorism, blocking its adoption due to disagreements over its content. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, representing India, refused to endorse the statement after Pakistan, with support from SCO chair China, sought to dilute India’s firm position on terrorism by including references to terrorist activities in Balochistan and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, while omitting mention of the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
The Pahalgam attack, executed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, targeted based on their religious identity. India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson noted that the country insisted on reflecting its concerns about terrorism in the document, a stance opposed by Pakistan, leading to the failure to reach a consensus required by SCO norms. Consequently, the joint statement was not adopted despite extensive overnight discussions.
Addressing the SCO meeting, attended by counterparts including Pakistan’s Khawaja Asif and China’s Admiral Dong Jun, Singh emphasized that peace and prosperity cannot coexist with terrorism or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of non-state actors. He indirectly criticized Pakistan, stating that some nations use cross-border terrorism as a policy tool and provide safe havens for terrorists, urging the SCO to unequivocally condemn such practices.
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Singh highlighted India’s proactive measures, referencing Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 to dismantle cross-border terrorist infrastructure in response to the Pahalgam attack. He underscored India’s zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism, asserting the nation’s right to defend itself against such threats. The minister’s remarks reinforced India’s call for accountability, demanding that perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of terrorism, including cross-border acts, face justice.
The SCO, comprising full members India, Pakistan, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus, has been a platform for regional security discussions since India and Pakistan joined in 2017. Singh’s firm stance at the Qingdao meeting underscored India’s unwavering commitment to combating terrorism, even as diplomatic tensions with Pakistan and China persisted.