India rejects SCO statement over Pahalgam attack, Balochistan reference
India walked away from signing a joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers's meet in Qingdao.
The main reasons? The statement skipped any mention of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack—where 26 civilians lost their lives to Pakistan-based militants—and subtly pointed fingers at India for unrest in Balochistan, echoing Pakistan's narrative and showing China's influence as chair.
India is pushing back against biased narratives
This move highlights how seriously India takes cross-border terrorism and its demand for fair recognition of such attacks.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called out the lack of a clear stance on terrorism, emphasizing that it "knows no borders" and shouldn't be used as state policy.
By refusing to sign, India is pushing back against what it sees as biased narratives and calling for honest cooperation on security issues in the region.