India has declined to sign a joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ conference in Qingdao, reportedly objecting to the inclusion of Balochistan in the final document while Pahalgam was left unmentioned.
The Indian media reported that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign the joint communiqué, saying it did not represent India’s stance on terrorism, especially by failing to mention the recent militant attack in Pahalgam.
The Indian delegation was also uncomfortable with the document mentioning unrest in Balochistan, which has been a cause of friction between Islamabad and New Delhi for long.
Indian media alleged that the exclusion of Pahalgam was Pakistan-backed and China-influenced, with China holding the presidency of the SCO at present. But there was no confirmation from the SCO members on this rumour.
Indian Defence Ministry sources acknowledged that “India is not satisfied with the language of the joint SCO document.” They referred to imbalance in the narrative wherein incidents from within Pakistan were being given prominence but not those from Indian-administered areas.
The summit of SCO defence ministers was attended by all member states including China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asian republics and dealt with regional security and defence cooperation.
The forum, founded in 2001, now has 10 member nations, and seeks to combat extremism, enhance multilateral relations, and foster stability in the region.
Earlier, Punjab Counter terrorism department (CTD) has foiled Indian espionage plot, apprehended six Pakistani nationals working as RAW facilitators in a well-planned operation.
Punjab Additional IG Shahzada Sultan told reporters at a press conference in Lahore that the CTD had foiled a terrorist plot to destabilize important parts of southern Punjab, especially Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar.
