Rajnath Singh Refuses to Sign SCO Joint Statement Over Omission of Pahalgam Attack

India is not satisfied with the language of the joint document,” an Indian official told ANI.

By DTD- On Jun 26, 2025

Qingdao — Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sparked diplomatic friction at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit after refusing to sign a joint declaration that omitted reference to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.

The SCO summit, hosted in Qingdao and attended by defence ministers from member states including China, Pakistan, and Russia, aimed to discuss regional and international security cooperation. However, India distanced itself from the joint statement after its concerns over selective mention of terror incidents were not addressed.

According to Indian media outlets NDTV and ANI, New Delhi objected to the statement’s silence on the Pahalgam incident while it included references to unrest in Pakistan’s Balochistan province — a move interpreted as an indirect criticism of India.

“India is not satisfied with the language of the joint document,” an Indian official told ANI. “There was no mention of the attack in Pahalgam, but incidents in Pakistan were highlighted. Signing the document would have diluted India’s stand against terrorism.”

Speaking at the summit before the statement was presented, Rajnath Singh strongly condemned terrorism and called for strict accountability for those involved in terrorist acts. “Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomever committed,” he asserted. “SCO members must condemn this evil unequivocally.”

Singh also stressed the need to combat radicalisation and praised the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) for its role in this regard. “We should take proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among our youth. The RATS mechanism has played a significant role in countering such threats.”

India’s decision not to endorse the joint communiqué resulted in the absence of a unified statement from the summit — a rare occurrence in such multilateral settings.

This diplomatic discord highlights ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan within multilateral frameworks, especially over issues of terrorism and territorial integrity.