'Cross-Border Terrorism Not Explicitly Addressed,' India Blocks SCO Joint Statement
The Wire Staff
New Delhi: India has blocked the release of a joint communique by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) today (June 26), by refusing to sign it, citing the fact that it has not explicitly addressed New Delhi's concerns on Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh's refusal to sign the draft communique at the SCO defence ministers' conclave at Qingdao in China, has meant that the meeting ended without one as the grouping functions under a consensus framework.
Addressing a press conference, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randeep Jaiswal confirmed this, saying, “On a question regarding SCO, we had Raksha Mantri (defence minister) participating in the defence ministers’ meeting of SCO. This meeting happened over two days… I understand that they could not adopt a joint statement. I also understand that certain member countries could not reach consensus on certain issues and hence the document could not be finalised.”
“On our side, India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document which was not acceptable to one particular country and therefore the statement was not adopted,” he added.
In his address at the summit, Singh said there should be "no double standards" in combating terrorism and urged the SCO member nations to condemn it with unity.
The SCO also has Pakistan in it, along with China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. China is chair of the SCO for 2025. The theme for the year is 'Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.'
Referring to Pakistan, Singh said some countries are using cross-border terrorism as an "instrument of policy" to provide shelter to terrorists.
"The biggest challenges that we are facing in our region are related to peace, security and trust-deficit," he said according to PTI, adding that "the root cause of these problems is increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism."
Singh said peace 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, and we must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security," he said.
Singh also spoke of consequences for those who sponsor, nurture and utilise terrorism for "narrow and selfish ends."
There should be no place for double standards in combating terrorism, he added. Here, Singh said that the SCO should not hesitate to criticise nations indulging in double standards in combating the menace of terrorism.
Singh also mentioned the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, and said that it bore similarities with Lashkar-e-Tayyaba's earlier terror attacks in India. India's Operation Sindoor, he said, was response to the Pahalgam attack.
"India’s zero tolerance for terrorism was demonstrated through its actions...We have shown that epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe and we will not hesitate to target them," he said.
India has not had much luck with its efforts to amass a global consensus against Pakistan-funded terror of late.Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations was appointed chair of the U.N. Security Council’s 1988 Sanctions Committee, which monitors sanctions targeting the Taliban and a Pakistani diplomat has become vice-chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee.
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, General Michael Kurilla, the head of US Central Command recently hailed Pakistan as “a “phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world”.
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