One country wanted no reference to terror: EAM Jaishankar on India's firm stand at SCO summit

New Delhi, June 27 External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday stressed that the core objective of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is to combat terrorism and that all member nations must reflect this shared goal in both words and actions.

Addressing an event in the national capital, Jaishankar underlined India’s consistent position that terrorism must not be justified, glorified, or shielded under any pretext — a message that resonated with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s refusal to endorse a joint statement at the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting on Thursday.

Without mentioning Pakistan, the EAM said, “The SCO was created with purpose of fighting terrorism. If any country participating on this platform selectively blocks references to terror incidents or avoids calling out terrorism, then it defeats the very purpose of the organisation,” Jaishankar said, without naming Pakistan.

The remarks came in the backdrop of the SCO Defence Minister meeting in China on Thursday, where Rajnath Singh refused to sign the joint declaration document, citing its failure to address terrorism-related concerns, specifically the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 innocent people - mostly tourists, including one Nepal national.

“Our position is very clear,” Jaishankar said. “One country objected to the mention of terrorism and we all know which country it is. That is why our Defence Minister did not endorse the statement. If fighting terrorism is our common goal, then we must call out every act and every place affected.”

India has consistently pushed for greater cooperation within SCO on security matters but has often found itself at odds with countries that differentiate between “good” and “bad” terrorism.

The refusal to acknowledge Pahalgam terror attack has further exposed these fault lines within the bloc.

Besides India, the SCO member countries are Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Belarus. India became a member of the SCO in 2017 and assumed the rotating Chairmanship in 2023.

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