Defence Minister Rajnath Singh firmly declined to sign a joint declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China after the final draft omitted mention of the Pahalgam terror attack and diluted India’s stand against terrorism, as per media reports. Instead, the reports claim that the document subtly implied India was responsible for instability in regions like Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, prompting strong objections from the Indian side.
Delivering a pointed message at the summit, Singh stressed that nations must not adopt “double standards” when dealing with terrorism and that all perpetrators, sponsors, and financiers must be held accountable. He pointed out the involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, terrorist groups hailing from Pakistan involved in causing terror such as the Pahalgam attack. His remarks were seen as a direct rebuke to Pakistan and, by extension, China, both of whom reportedly pushed for a softer stance on terrorism in the final document.
According to officials familiar with the matter, India rejected the draft after efforts by Pakistan and China to dilute references to cross-border terror threats. In Singh’s speech, he said that some countries are using cross-border terrorism as an “instrument of policy” to provide shelter to terrorists. “The biggest challenges that we are facing in our region are related to peace, security, and trust deficit,” Singh added. The SCO Summit convened defence chiefs from its ten member countries, including India, China, Russia, and Pakistan, to discuss regional security, strengthen counter-terrorism efforts, and boost military cooperation among members.
“And the root cause of these problems is increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism.” Singh said peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised the need for consistent global efforts against terrorism, stressing that those involved in its execution, funding, or support must be held accountable—an indirect reference to Pakistan.
“Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action, and we must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security,” he said.
The defence minister said those who sponsor, nurture and utilise terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences. There should be no place for double standards in combating terrorism, he said, adding the SCO should not hesitate to criticise nations indulging in double standards in combating the menace.
Singh also said the pattern of the Pahalgam terror attack matched with Lashkar-e-Taiba’s previous terror attacks in India.India is following a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, he said. The defence minister also noted that India has been consistent and steadfast in its policy in support of peace, security and stability in Afghanistan.
(with PTI inputs)