India refuses to sign SCO statement that skipped Pahalgam
BEIJING: India has refused to sign a joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, reportedly objecting to the inclusion of Balochistan in the final document while Pahalgam was left unmentioned.
According to Indian media, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declined to endorse the joint communiqué, claiming it did not reflect India’s position on terrorism, particularly by omitting a reference to a recent militant attack in Pahalgam. The Indian side was also uneasy over the document’s reference to unrest in Balochistan, which has long been a source of tension between Islamabad and New Delhi.
Indian media claimed that the exclusion of Pahalgam was influenced by Pakistan and backed by China, which currently holds the SCO presidency. However, there was no official confirmation from SCO members on this speculation.
Indian Defence Ministry sources admitted that “India is not satisfied with the language of the joint SCO document.” They cited imbalance in the narrative, where incidents from within Pakistan were highlighted but not those from Indian-administered regions.
The SCO defence ministers’ summit was attended by all member states including China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asian republics, and focused on regional security and defence cooperation.
The forum, established in 2001, currently includes 10 member countries, and aims to counter extremism, improve multilateral ties, and promote regional stability.