India declined to endorse the joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in China, and pushed for including tougher language on terrorism that would reflect the Indian position, particularly in wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
According to sources, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign the document on Thursday as it did not mention the Pahalgam attack but included militant activities in Balochistan. Pakistan and China were trying to divert attention from terrorism and the document would have diluted India’s position on critical issues, particularly terrorism and regional security, sources added.
In his address at the SCO meet in Qingdao, Mr. Singh mentioned that a terror group, The Resistance Front (TRF), had carried out a “dastardly and heinous attack” on innocent tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, killing 26 innocent civilians, including a Nepali national. Victims were shot at after they were profiled based on religious identity. TRF, a proxy of the United Nations-designated Lashkar-e-Taiba, had claimed responsibility for the attack, he said.
“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,” said Mr. Singh.
“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 further said.
The pattern of Pahalgam attack was similar to the LeT’s previous attacks in India, Mr. Singh added.
The Ministry of External Affairs said, “The Defence Ministers’ meeting of SCO concluded without a joint statement due to a lack of consensus among member countries. India advocated for the inclusion of terrorism concerns in the document, but one country objected. Defence Minister urged countries to unite against terrorism and hold perpetrators accountable, emphasising regional stability and security.”
On the sidelines of the SCO, Mr. Singh met Defence Ministers of Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
In response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India on May 7 launched “Operation Sindoor” to dismantle cross-border terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.
