At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Summit held in Qingdao, China, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh delivered a decisive and uncompromising message against Pakistan’s role in cross-border terrorism, marking a significant diplomatic stand-off.
The summit, which brought together defence chiefs from ten member states including China, Russia, Pakistan, and India, was overshadowed by sharp disagreements over how terrorism—particularly incidents involving Pakistan—should be addressed in the joint statement.
Singh refused to sign the final joint declaration after it omitted any mention of the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir, which killed 26 people and was linked to Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and its offshoot,
The Resistance Front. Instead, the draft document subtly implied that India was responsible for instability in regions such as Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a stance that drew strong objections from the Indian delegation.
Throughout the summit, there were no handshakes or courtesies exchanged between Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, reflecting the deep diplomatic chill. Singh’s address was a direct rebuke to Pakistan and, by extension, China, both of whom reportedly pushed for a softer stance on terrorism in the final document.
He condemned the use of terrorism as a tool of state policy and called out the “double standards” of countries that sponsor or shelter terrorists, insisting that all perpetrators, sponsors, and financiers must be held accountable.
Singh also referenced Operation Sindoor, in which Indian forces targeted terror camps inside Pakistan, asserting India’s right to self-defence and its policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism.
The refusal to sign the joint statement resulted in the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting concluding without a communique—a rare occurrence for such high-level summits. Singh’s actions underscored India’s strategic autonomy and its insistence that peace and prosperity in the region cannot coexist with terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of non-state actors.
He urged SCO nations to reject double standards and take united, decisive action against those who sponsor and nurture terrorism for narrow political ends.
This “diplomatic strike” by Rajnath Singh not only isolated Pakistan on the international stage but also sent a clear message to the SCO and the broader global community: India will not compromise on its core security concerns, especially when it comes to cross-border terrorism.
Agencies