India Slams SCO’s Silence on Terror Attacks, Refuses to Sign Defence Meet Declaration -

Background: SCO and Its Security Agenda

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a 10‑member regional security bloc encompassing China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and several Central Asian nations launched in 2001 to counter terrorism, separatism, and extremism. The annual Defence Ministers’ Meeting, held June 25–27 in Qingdao, China, was expected to reflect unity. Instead, it fractured along India Pakistan lines and revealed deep rifts within the bloc.

1. No Joint Statement: A Unilateral Breakdown

For the first time in SCO defence ministerial history, no joint communiqué was issued. India refused to sign due to the omission of any reference to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 mostly Indian tourists were killed. India viewed this exclusion as a direct attempt led by Pakistan, and backed by China to downplay terrorism impacting India while acknowledging violence in Pakistan’s Balochistan region. Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar confirmed Pakistan blocked the inclusion of terrorism concerns.

2. India Takes a Firm Stand on Terrorism

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh didn’t just pull out he publicly condemned what he called cross‑border terrorism as a deliberate policy tool, instructing the SCO that “epicentres of terror are no longer safe” and that countries sheltering terrorists must be held accountable. He emphasized the nexus between Lashkar-e-Taiba (via The Resistance Front) and the Pahalgam attack, and supported the use of targeted military action. His voice marked an unusually sharp rebuke within the Chinese-led forum against Pakistan, with China implicitly targeted too.

3. The Geo-Strategic Implications: China-Pakistan Bloc Shapes the Narrative

This impasse didn’t happen in isolation. Just days earlier, China convened a trilateral meeting with Pakistan and Bangladesh in Kunming, signaling a common South Asia strategy outside India’s sphere. Within the SCO summit, China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun subtly criticized “Western hegemonic bullying,” likely meant for the US, but the applause for these statements highlighted China’s control of the agenda. Many analysts see this as a structural tilt: Beijing chairs, sets the frame, and subtly backs Pakistan a pattern that India increasingly perceives as undermining its position in regional security frameworks.

4. India’s Push for Terror Acknowledgment

India’s stance wasn’t simply about criticism; it was a demand for accountability. MEA’s Randhir Jaiswal explained India wanted counter-terror language in the document blocked by Pakistan. ThePrint further emphasized that both China and Pakistan acted to omit the Pahalgam mention while insisting on including a reference to the Jaffar Express Balochistan attack underscoring a selective, biased portrayal. This double standard acknowledging violence in Pakistan but not reciprocation in Indian Jammu & Kashmir crossed India’s red line.

5. India Signals Its Isolation and China’s Dominance

Pakistan’s portrayal of the outcome as a “diplomatic success” and claims that India was “isolated” were seen as attempts to frame the narrative favorable to Islamabad . China, meanwhile, dismissed the lack of consensus as a routine challenge and sought to maintain the SCO’s facade of cohesion. But insiders say India’s repeated snagging of communiqués over terrorism, Israel–Iran statements, and the economic roadmap reveals its growing discomfort with the SCO’s pro‑China tilt .

6. What This Means for India and the SCO

Consequence	Implication
India-SCO credibility gap	India’s refusals highlight flaws in consensus politics, and question the bloc’s utility
Beijing’s regional control	China is steering both narrative and outcomes, reshaping the bloc’s priorities
India’s strategic recalibration	With SCO credibility waning, India may shift focus to Quad, ASEAN, and other platforms

India’s action at Qingdao marks a strategic crossroads. It underscored India’s unwillingness to equate or accept terrorism narratives that appear slanted. But it also revealed a bloc increasingly shaped by China’s political agenda eroding India’s confidence in its effectiveness.

Conclusion

The SCO defence meet in Qingdao was meant to streamline Eurasian security cooperation but instead laid bare conflicting visions. India’s insistence on naming terrorism and refusal to endorse a Pakistan‑China‑aligned communiqué broke the diplomatic script. The episode sends a clear message: India will not compromise its core security concerns, even if it risks diplomatic friction within multilateral forums dominated by China.

Moving forward, India seems set to explore alternative, like-minded partnerships while remaining vigilant of how SCO’s decision-making may exclude its interests under Chinese influence.

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