NEW DELHI/QINGDAO, 26 June — India withheld its endorsement of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) joint statement after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reportedly refused to sign the final document, citing the bloc’s failure to address cross-border terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan.
The two-day SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting, held from June 25 to 26 in Qingdao, China, brought together defence leaders from India, China, Russia, and Central Asian nations to discuss regional and international peace and security. However, the meeting concluded without a joint statement, a direct result of India’s objection to the absence of strong language on terrorism.
Speaking at the forum, Singh urged SCO members to adopt a unified and uncompromising stance on terrorism. “There can be no double standards when it comes to combating terrorism,” he said. “The biggest challenges in our region today are peace, security, and a growing trust-deficit. The root cause lies in radicalisation, extremism, and terrorism.”
Sources told PTI that Singh’s refusal to sign the statement stemmed from the SCO’s failure to clearly define a collective approach to tackle terrorism, especially cross-border attacks, a long-standing concern for India. The Defence Minister pointedly referred to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 dead, as a grim example of Pakistan-backed terrorism.
“The pattern of the Pahalgam attack matches previous strikes by Lashkar-e-Taiba,” Singh said, adding that its offshoot, The Resistance Front, had carried out the assault with direct support from across the border. “India’s zero tolerance for terrorism has been made clear by our actions. We will not hesitate to target terror epicentres.”
Following the Pahalgam attack, India launched Operation Sindoor, a targeted military response against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes triggered a four-day military stand-off between India and Pakistan, further escalating regional tensions.
India’s decision to dissociate from the joint statement signals growing frustration over what it perceives as inadequate international acknowledgment of state-sponsored terrorism.
“We must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security,” Singh told SCO partners, reiterating India’s call for clear, firm action on terrorism and greater regional accountability.
