India Refuses To Sign SCO Document That Skipped Pahalgam, Had Balochistan

Piyal ChatterjeeIssuing a firm warning to India’s neighbors, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declined to endorse a joint statement at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting since it failed to reference the Pahalgam terror attack that took 26 innocent lives and did not highlight India’s resolute stance on terrorism. The document made a reference to Balochistan, implicitly blaming India for inciting turmoil, while omitting any mention of Pahalgam. Pahalgam’s omission from the document seems to have been requested by Pakistan since its all-weather ally, China, currently holds the Chair.

India has consistently rejected Pakistan’s claims regarding its role in Balochistan, stating that Islamabad should reflect on its own actions and cease supporting terrorism instead of making baseless accusations.

“India is not satisfied with the language of the joint document. There was no mention of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, there was mention of the incidents that happened in Pakistan, so India refused to sign the joint declaration, and there is no joint communique either,” a Defence Ministry source said.

Mr. Singh is presently in Qingdao, China, for the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting. Member states, including Russia, Pakistan, and China, are attending the summit to address topics concerning regional and global security. Founded in 2001, SCO seeks to enhance regional stability via collaboration. The group presently consists of 10 member nations — Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

During the summit, the Defence Minister urged SCO members to come together to eradicate terrorism for shared safety and security. He stated that the primary challenges confronting the region are linked to peace, security, and a lack of trust, with radicalisation, extremism, and terrorism being the underlying causes of these issues.

“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. It is imperative 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,” Mr Singh, taking in a veiled swipe at Pakistan.

Regarding the Pahalgam terror incident, he mentioned that India had asserted its right to defend against terrorism and to prevent as well as dissuade additional cross-border assaults. “During the Pahalgam terror attack, individuals were targeted for shooting based on their religious identity.” The Resistance Front, a proxy of the UN-designated terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), took responsibility for the assault. The attack pattern in Pahalgam aligns with previous terror incidents by LeT in India. India’s actions reflected its zero tolerance for terrorism. It encompasses our right to protect ourselves from terrorism. “We have demonstrated that the hubs of terrorism are no longer secure, and we will not hesitate to strike them,” he stated.

He emphasized the importance of holding accountable those who commit, organize, fund, and support terrorism and ensuring they face justice. He labeled all acts of terrorism as criminal and without justification. He stated that SCO members must unambiguously denounce this wickedness.

The Defence Minister’s unwillingness to endorse the joint statement illustrates India’s firm position against terrorism currently and aligns with the international communication following Operation Sindoor. Eight delegations were dispatched overseas to express New Delhi’s position on terrorism and outline its future strategies for addressing it.