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

At the meeting in China’s Qingdao, Rajnath Singh says ‘peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism’

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao on Thursday, delivered a strong message against terrorism, indirectly targeting Pakistan.

Without naming the country, Singh said that some nations use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists, stressing that there should be no place for such double standards.

Pakistan, a member of the SCO, was represented at the meeting by its Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

Singh added that the SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations that support or enable terrorism.

“It is imperative that those who sponsor, nurture, and utilise terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences,” Rajnath Singh stated.

He further underlined that peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), especially when these fall into the hands of non-state actors and terrorist groups.

Singh called for decisive, united action among SCO members to combat these threats, emphasising the need for collective security.

Speaking about the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, the Defence Minister said that the terror group ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRF) carried out a dastardly and heinous attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam, located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 26 civilians, including a Nepali national, were killed in the incident. He stated that the victims were singled out and shot after being profiled based on their religious identity.

The Resistance Front, a proxy of the UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack. He noted that the pattern of the Pahalgam attack closely resembles previous terror strikes carried out by LeT in India.

Exercising its right to defend against terrorism and to pre-empt and deter further cross-border attacks, India successfully launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to dismantle terrorist infrastructure across the border.

French engine maker, Sarfan, on Wednesday announced the construction of a new maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility dedicated to the Rafale’s M88 engine in Hyderabad.This site will be the first one to maintain M88 engine modules outside of France, Safran said.

The brand-new facility will have a capacity of handling more than 600 engine modules each year, and will help in meeting the strong growth of M88 maintenance activities worldwide. The Indian Air Force already flies the Rafale, while the Navy has ordered its marine version.

Christophe Bruneau, Executive Vice-President, Military Engines at Safran Aircraft Engines, said, “We are delighted to select Hyderabad as a location for the first export maintenance facility dedicated to the M88.”

“This project marks an important step in the development of Indian sovereignty in aerospace and defence, while demonstrating Safran’s commitment to developing a world-class MRO ecosystem for the benefit of all M88 operators,” Bruneau added.

A statement issued by Safran further read: “The new workshop will also benefit from synergies with other Safran production facilities and MRO workshops located in the region, in line with our commitment to develop a comprehensive commercial and military supply chain in India for aircraft engines.”

Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah, 37, was killed on Tuesday in a clash with the Taliban militants in the Sararogha area of South Waziristan near the Afghan border

n officer of the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group, who had claimed to have captured Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman after his jet was shot down in a dogfight in 2019, was killed in a clash with the Taliban militants, according to the army.

Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah, 37, was killed on Tuesday in a clash with the Taliban militants in the Sararogha area of South Waziristan near the Afghan border, according to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the army.

Lance Naik Jibran Ullah, 27, was also killed in the same battle, it said.

The army troops killed 11 terrorists belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and wounded seven others in the same operation, the statement said.

Moiz’s funeral prayer was offered at Chaklala Garrison, Rawalpindi, and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended it.

“Major Syed Moiz Abbas fought bravely in the face of resistance and ultimately laid down his life in the line of duty, upholding the highest traditions of bravery, sacrifice and patriotism,” the ISPR statement quoted Munir as saying.

His body was flown to his native home town of Chakwal in Punjab where he was laid to rest with full military honours.

He was commissioned into the Pakistani Army in 2011. However, he later became part of the Special Services Group (SSG) and was currently serving in the volatile Waziristan region.

After his death, it turned out that he was the same officer who had captured Abhinandan and saved him from mob violence, local media reported.

An old clip of his interview with Geo TV on social media shows Moiz, who was captain then, giving details of capturing Abhinandan.

The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007. Its main aim is to impose its strict brand of Islam across Pakistan.

The group, believed to be close to al-Qaeda, has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases, and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.

Pakistan describes TTP as ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’, a reference to a group in earlier Islamic history which was involved in violence.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday claimed victory over Israel and said his country had “delivered a hand slap to America’s face”, in his first public comments since a ceasefire was declared in the war between the two countries.

Khamenei spoke in a video broadcast on Iranian state television, his first appearance since June 19.

He told viewers that the US had only intervened in the war because “it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed”.

He said, however, the US “achieved no gains from this war”.

“The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” he said, in apparent reference to an Iranian missile attack on an American base in Qatar on Monday, which caused no casualties.

The Indian Navy hosted the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium on maritime security. The event brought together representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, France, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Thailand. Delegates engaged in deliberations aimed at strengthening security.

A Navy staffer posted at the naval headquarters in Delhi was arrested in Jaipur for allegedly leaking defence-related sensitive information to a Pakistani handler in exchange for money, a police official said on Thursday. Vishal Yadav, an upper division clerk in the Directorate of Dockyard at the Navy building, allegedly also shared details on Op Sindoor — strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Heavily armed group equipped with M4 carbines

Arjun Sharma

A week ahead of start of the Amarnath pilgrimage, a highly trained terrorist, believed to be Pakistani, was shot dead during an encounter with the security forces in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district on Thursday.

Intelligence agencies received information about the presence of at least four terrorists in the dense forest of Bihali in Basantgarh. They were confronted by a joint search party of the J&K Police and the Special Forces of the Army on Thursday morning.

Basantgarh is located on the traditional route of Pakistani terrorists who infiltrate from the International Border in Kathua and travel to higher reaches of the Jammu region or to the Valley.

Sources said the group belongs to the Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit and is heavily armed. They are also equipped with M4 carbines. The sources said from the tactics being used by the terrorists during the encounter, it appeared they were likely trained in jungle warfare.

“Based on a tip-off, a joint operation was launched by the Army and the police in the Bihali area of Basantgarh. A contact has been established with terrorists. The operation is currently in progress,” the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps posted on X.

Later, it said, “In the ongoing joint operation, one terrorist has been neutralised till now.”

Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Bhim Sen Tuti, said a search operation was continuing in the area. “There is a thick fog cover in the area and weather conditions are not favourable. Things will be clear once the weather improves” said Tuti.

The terrorists are carrying arms, ammunition and food in their backpacks.

The sources said the group had infiltrated into India at least a year ago and was being tracked by the security forces. They were moving from one area to another and overground workers (OGWs) were likely providing them food and other logistics. The terrorists were using forest and natural caves for hiding.

A tight cordon by the Special Operations Group of the police and Army was being maintained as the remaining terrorists might try to take cover of fog and poor weather conditions and try to flee. Additional forces have already been rushed to the area.

The RSS on Thursday called for reviewing the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the preamble of the Constitution, saying these were included during Emergency and were never part of the Constitution drafted by BR Ambedkar.

Addressing an event on 50 years of Emergency here, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabole said, “Babasaheb Ambedkar never used these words in the preamble. The words were added during Emergency, when fundamental rights were suspended, Parliament did not function and the judiciary became lame.” He said discussions were held on this issue later but no effort was made to remove the two words from the preamble.

“So whether these words should remain must be considered. The preamble is eternal. Are the thoughts of socialism as an ideology eternal for India,” he asked.

The suggestion from the RSS’ second most senior functionary to consider removing the terms secular and socialist came as he hit out at the Congress for the excesses during Emergency, demanding an apology from the party.

Recalling the days of Emergency, which was announced on June 25, 1975, Hosabale said while thousands were put in jail and tortured during that period, the freedom of the judiciary and media was also curtailed. The days of Emergency also witnessed large-scale forced sterlisation, the RSS leader said.

“Those who did such things are today moving around with Constitution’s copy. Your ancestors did it…. You must apologise,” he said. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also attended the event.

Chenab diversion to Punjab, Haryana feasible, say officials

Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service

India is not afraid of Pakistan’s empty threats on the abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty and the pact will not be restored, the government said on Thursday.

Reacting to the former Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s threats of war if India refused to renegotiate IWT abeyance, Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil said, “Water will not go anywhere. The treaty will not be renegotiated. What Bhutto says is up to him.”

He added India would benefit hugely from plans underway to utilise excess waters from the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — which was previously allocated to Pakistan under the treaty.

He acknowledged that the Indian government had received several requests from Pakistan (at least four) to re-consider the suspension of the treaty. “Writing letters is natural, but letters will not determine outcomes. Home Minister Amit Shah has already clarified that the treaty will never be restored,” said Paatil.

He said India was working to utilise the waters of the western tributaries of the Indus but it was not in the national interest to divulge specific details of the project right now.

The Tribune has learnt that the Centre was moving ahead with five projects on the western rivers, which were previously stalled due to the IWT.

These include the Tulbul Navigation Project, which was designed to navigate the Jhelum river during the lean winter months. J&K CM Omar Abdullah has called for the revival of this project.

The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is working on a detailed project report for the Tulbul plan. Official sources said the DPR would take a year, after which the Centre will decide whether to go ahead with the revival of the project. The Kishanganga hydroelectric power project diverts water from the Kishanganga river to a power plant in the Jhelum river basin, is complete, said sources.

The government is speeding up the construction of the Ratle hydroelectric power project on Chenab. This project is designed as a run-of-river scheme with an installed capacity of 850 MW.

When asked if the western rivers could be diverted to Punjab and Haryana, top sources said it was technically feasible with at least one river. Plans are afoot to look at the feasibility of a canal to link the Chenab with the Ravi-Beas-Sutlej system, said sources, adding that the Power Ministry had bid for four of the projects on the western rivers.

A source said, “Abeyance of the IWT means the processes of the treaty have been held in abeyance. So we can manage our dams flushing better. Recently, waters to Pakistan stopped because we had stopped the water flow for flushing operations but overall we have limited water holding capacity for 24, 36 or 48 hours, beyond which the water has to flow to Pakistan, lest we want flooding in our own territory,” said a senior official.

“After the abeyance of the IWT, projects on the western rivers can be executed faster. We can now seek a greater share of the Indus waters from these and will try to find technical feasibility to do so,” said a top official source.