NEW DELHI, June 27 (TNF): India has declined to endorse a joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, citing concerns that the document appeared biased in favour of Pakistan. The impasse occurred during a meeting of SCO defence ministers on Thursday, with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh objecting to the absence of any reference to the April 22 terror attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir, which New Delhi blames on Pakistan.
Singh reportedly argued that the proposed statement undermined India’s position on terrorism and regional security while aligning with Pakistan’s narrative by mentioning militant activity in Balochistan but ignoring the Kashmir attack. Singh urged SCO members to unite against nations that use cross-border terrorism as policy and provide shelter to terrorists, though he did not name Pakistan directly.
The summit, seen as a key platform for China’s regional ambitions, was overshadowed by the disagreement, highlighting growing tensions between India and Pakistan amid efforts to strengthen regional cooperation.
The April 22 killings embroiled the two nuclear-armed nations in the most serious military confrontation in decades. After days of exchanging fire, both sides agreed to a US -brokered ceasefire to de-escalate tensions.
The signing ceremony took place during a gathering of SCO defence ministers, a regional bloc created by China and Russia to counter US influence in Asia.
China has largely taken over the running of the SCO, staging joint drills and holding summits, whilst Russia remains involved in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
While little known globally, the SCO has become one of China’s main instruments to expand its political and economic reach into areas traditionally neutral, such as India, or closely linked to Russia such as Central Asia.
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