Rajnath refuses to sign SCO communique over exclusion of Pahalgam terror attack

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday, 26 June, refused to sign a joint communique of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for the omission of the Pahalgam terror attack and for not explicitly addressing India's concerns over Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism.

At the SCO defence ministers' conclave in Qingdao, China, Singh demanded inclusion of the terror attack in the communique while the Pakistani side pressed for having a paragraph on militant activities in Balochistan in an apparent attempt to blame New Delhi, according to sources.

The SCO operates under the framework of consensus and Pakistan's approach resulted in the conclave ending without a joint communique, they said.

The draft communique neither figured the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack nor reflected India's position on cross-border terrorism, and it would have diluted New Delhi's position on a critical issue.

In his address at the conclave, Singh took a swipe at Pakistan for backing terrorist groups.

Highlighting India's Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam strike, the defence minister said, "epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe and we will not hesitate to target them."

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun were among those who attended the conclave.

In New Delhi, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing that the SCO member nations could not reach a consensus on certain issues and hence the document could not be finalised.

In Qingdao, the defence minister laid down the broad contours of India's "transitional shift" in its policy against terrorism and urged the SCO member nations to unite in combating and shun "double standards".

"Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups," Singh said.

Singh said, "The pattern of Pahalgam attack matches with Lashkar-e-Toiba's previous terror attacksin India. India's zero tolerance for terrorism was demonstrated through its actions," he said.

Pahalgam terror attack: A world of condemnation

Urging the SCO members to condemn terrorism unequivocally Singh reaffirmed India’s resolve to fight the menace in all its forms.

Singh underscored the importance of countering the technology used by terrorists including drones for cross-border smuggling of weapons and drugs, pointing out that traditional borders are no longer the sole barriers against threats in this interconnected world.

On SCO's crucial role in the current uncertain geopolitical scenario, Singh said the member countries contribute around 30 per cent of the global GDP and about 40 per cent of the world’s population resides in them.

He described the creation of a safe, secure and stable region as a collective stake, which can contribute towards progress and improvement of peoples’ lives.

Voicing India's commitment to increasing its connectivity with Central Asia, the defence minister said, "Better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also fosters mutual trust."

"However, in these efforts, it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states."

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