India refuses to sign draft statement at SCO meet over silence on Pahalgam terror attack, Balochistan mention

According to the sources, no joint statement was issued because Singh refused to sign the draft statement, protesting the absence of a common standard for terrorism.

Stating that the Defence Minister participated in the two-day SCO meeting, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, confirmed the development and said, “I understand that they could not adopt a joint statement.”

“I also understand that certain members could not reach consensus on certain issues, and hence the document could not be finalised. On our side, India wanted concerns and terrorism reflected in the document which was not acceptable to one particular country and, therefore, the statement was not adopted, but we had the participation of our Raksha Mantri,” Jaiswal said without naming the “one particular country”. Pakistan and China are members of the SCO.

Besides India, the SCO includes Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

At the meeting, Singh said the region’s biggest challenges are related to peace, security and trust deficits, with increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism being the root cause of these problems.

“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. Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action,” he said, adding that those who sponsor, nurture and utilise terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences.

“Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations,” he said.

Mentioning Operation Sindoor, he said India launched the operation in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam, exercising its right to defend itself against terrorism and pre-empt and deter further cross-border attacks.

“During the Pahalgam terror attack, victims were shot after they were profiled on religious identity. The Resistance Front, a proxy of UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack. The pattern of Pahalgam attack matches with LeT’s previous terror attacks in India,” he said.

“India’s zero tolerance for terrorism was demonstrated through its actions. It includes our right to defend ourselves against terrorism. We have shown that epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe and we will not hesitate to target them,” he said.

He said there is a need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, accountable and bring them to justice.

Calling any and every act of terrorism criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, Singh said SCO members must condemn this evil unequivocally.

He called for proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among the youth, acknowledging the significant role of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) mechanism in tackling the challenge.

“The joint statement of the Council of SCO Heads of State on ‘Countering Radicalisation leading to Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism’ issued during India’s Chairmanship symbolises our shared commitment,” he said.

He emphasised on 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.

The world, he said, faces an intricate web of challenges that range from transnational terrorism and cyber-attacks to hybrid warfare. He said these threats do not respect national boundaries, and demand a unified response rooted in transparency, mutual trust and collaboration.

He also spoke on non-traditional security challenges such as pandemics, climate change, food and water security, and associated societal disruptions that recognise no boundaries and impact peoples’ lives.

He stressed that these challenges cannot be addressed without responsible policies and cooperation among nations.

He said member countries contribute around 30 per cent of the global GDP, and about 40 per cent of the world’s population resides in them. The creation of a safe, secure and stable region, he said, is a collective stake which can contribute towards progress and improvement of peoples’ lives.

He said globalisation has been losing momentum, and the weakening of multilateral systems has made it harder to address urgent challenges, from maintaining peace and security to rebuilding economies after the pandemic. He said competition between major powers is intensifying, with trade and technology being increasingly used as tools in geopolitical rivalries.

“India believes that reformed multilateralism can help build cooperation to prevent conflict between countries by creating mechanisms for dialogue and collaboration,” he said.

Speaking on India’s commitment to increasing its connectivity with Central Asia, he 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,” he said.

Adding that India has been consistent and steadfast in its policy in support of peace, security and stability in Afghanistan, he said India continues to implement capacity-building initiatives for the Afghan people.

Singh also held bilateral meetings with his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Andrey Belousov and Admiral Dong Jun. His talks with the Russian Defence Minister covered defence cooperation and various projects between the two sides. Chinese news agency Xinhua said Admiral Dong Jun had individual meetings with his counterparts from the participating countries including India.