In a significant diplomatic shift, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has officially and pointedly condemned the brutal April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in its joint declaration signed at the Tianjin summit. This development marks a major victory for India, coming just ten weeks after the country’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, refused to sign a similar joint statement in Qingdao for its failure to mention the attack.
The condemnation is particularly noteworthy as the joint declaration was signed by all SCO member states, which now include China, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and also Pakistan.
From Silence to Condemnation: India’s Firm Stance
The turning point was evident during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for the SCO summit. On June 26, at the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, India had taken a firm and unwavering stand. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had rejected the joint declaration because, while it mentioned incidents in Pakistan, it completely omitted any reference to the Pahalgam massacre. The April 22 attack, carried out by militants, killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, and was a targeted act of violence that had shocked the nation.
India’s consistent push for a stronger, more explicit stance against terrorism has now paid off. The Tianjin declaration, issued on September 1, names and condemns the Pahalgam attack, aligning the SCO with India’s long-standing position on the issue.
While Pakistan is not mentioned in the context of the Pahalgam attack itself, its signature on the document is a diplomatic concession. By signing the joint declaration, Pakistan has become a party to a statement that condemns terrorism as a common threat to all SCO members, which in this case includes a specific attack on Indian soil.
Following the Pahalgam attack, India had launched retaliatory strikes under “Operation Sindoor,” targeting terror bases inside Pakistan. The government had vowed to treat the sponsors and backers of terrorism with the same resolve as the perpetrators, a policy that has been consistently implemented. This recent diplomatic move within the SCO framework further strengthens India’s international position on cross-border terrorism.