Rajnath to SCO: Why Is Pahalgam Missing from Your Statement?

June 27, 2025: During his visit to Qingdao, China, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held key bilateral talks with his counterparts from Tajikistan, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. The discussions centered around enhancing defence cooperation and India’s firm stance against terrorism.

Rajnath Singh specifically briefed the defence ministers of Belarus (Lt Gen Victor Khrenin), Tajikistan (Lt Gen Sobrizoda Emomali Abdurakhim), and Kazakhstan (Lt Gen Dauren Kosanov) on the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir and Operation Sindoor, India’s strategic mission to dismantle terrorist networks operating from Pakistan.

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He emphasized India’s rapid strides in achieving self-reliance in defence production and expressed interest in expanding defence collaborations, including training, capacity building, military education, and technical cooperation.

However, India refused to sign the SCO joint declaration, as the document failed to acknowledge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, while referencing incidents in Pakistan. Government sources confirmed that India rejected the declaration due to its “unsatisfactory language” and lack of balance on terrorism-related issues, leading to no joint communique being issued.

Singh’s message was clear: India’s commitment to combating terrorism is unwavering, and it expects its multilateral partners to recognize and support its efforts.