Pahalgam excluded: India declines to sign SCO statement

Context: India refused to endorse the joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting held in Qingdao, China.

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh cited the statement’s failure to mention the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, while highlighting militant activity in Balochistan—a move seen as biased.

• 26 civilians, including a Nepali national, were killed in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.

• Attack carried out by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

• Victims were targeted based on religious identity, described by Singh as a “heinous and dastardly act”.

• India sought stronger language on terrorism and inclusion of the Pahalgam attack in the statement.

• India opposed "double standards" and soft language on terrorism allegedly promoted by Pakistan and China.

• Due to lack of consensus, the joint statement was not adopted.

• Rajnath Singh emphasized “zero tolerance” for terrorism and India’s right to self-defence.

• Called out state-sponsored terrorism and said SCO should openly criticise such nations.

• Warned that epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe.

• In response to the Pahalgam attack, India launched "Operation Sindoor" on May 7 to target cross-border terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.

• On the sidelines, Mr. Singh met Defence Ministers of Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Belarus

• Established: 2001 (in Shanghai)

• Headquarters: Beijing, China

• Members (9 countries as of 2024):

• China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran

• Promote regional security and counter- terrorism

• Enhance economic cooperation

• Strengthen cultural and political ties Key Focus Areas:

• Counter-terrorism and extremism

• Regional stability and connectivity

• Trade, energy, and infrastructure development.