India draws the line: No compromise on terror at SCO meet | Fusion - WeRIndia

India has sent a strong message to the international community by refusing to sign the joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took the stand after the document failed to mention the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 innocent civilians lost their lives.

This deliberate omission came even as the statement included references to unrest in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, indirectly accusing India of interference.

Sources in the Defence Ministry said the exclusion of Pahalgam was likely done at Pakistan’s request, with backing from China, which currently chairs the SCO.

India has consistently denied allegations related to Balochistan and called them unfounded. It urged Islamabad to stop sponsoring terrorism rather than making false claims.

Singh made it clear that India could not endorse a document that ignored the loss of innocent Indian lives while highlighting Pakistan’s grievances.

During his address, the Defence Minister reminded member states that terrorism remains the biggest threat to peace and stability in the region. He called for united and decisive action against states that support and shelter terrorist groups.

He said radicalisation, extremism, and cross-border terrorism must be addressed directly, without double standards.

Speaking specifically on the Pahalgam attack, Singh revealed that the victims were profiled based on religious identity before being killed.

The Resistance Front, a known proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility. Singh warned that India would not hesitate to act against the epicentres of terror, exercising its right to defend its people.

He urged the SCO nations to hold the perpetrators, funders, and sponsors of terrorism accountable.

He also said that peace cannot survive alongside the spread of weapons of mass destruction among terror groups.

India’s refusal to sign the declaration aligns with its broader post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach.

Eight delegations have been sent abroad to share India’s strong position on counter-terrorism.

With this move, New Delhi underlines its deep commitment to protecting its sovereignty and demanding global accountability on terror.

Image Credit: Bourenane Chahine, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shanghai_Cooperation_Organisation_Map.png