Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed critical regional challenges at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China. He pointed out that peace, security, and a trust deficit remain the most pressing issues facing the SCO member states. Though he did not name any country directly, Singh raised India’s concerns regarding cross-border terrorism and urged SCO members to adopt a firm and principled stance.
“Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations,” Singh stated firmly.
Condemning the Pahalgam Terror Attack
Singh’s remarks came in the wake of the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including a Nepali national and a local pony handler. The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the UN-designated terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Singh emphasized the brutal nature of the attack, saying the victims were targeted based on their religious identity.
“On 22 April 2025, the terror group ‘The Resistance Front’ carried out a dastardly and heinous attack on innocent tourists at Pahalgam in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. 26 innocent civilians, including a Nepali national, were killed. Victims were shot at after they were profiled based on their religious identity. The Resistance Front, which is a proxy of UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack,” Singh said.
SCO Defence Ministers Convene Amidst Regional Tensions
The two-day SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting, held on June 25-26 in Qingdao, brought together defence chiefs and senior officials from the SCO’s ten full members: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. The meeting operates under China’s 2025 chairmanship and focuses on the theme “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.”
Singh highlighted that no nation, regardless of size or power, can tackle regional security challenges alone. “India believes that reformed multilateralism can help build cooperation to prevent conflict between countries by creating mechanisms for dialogue and collaboration. No country, however large and powerful, can manage alone,” he said.