Hon’ble India’s Defence Minister rejection of the joint statement at the SCO summit sent shockwaves across the geopolitical landscape, proving India’s commitment to fighting terrorism.
WHAT IS SCO SUMMIT
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan with the aim of promoting cooperation and peace among its member states, as well as fostering “a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic order.” The organization expanded to include India and Pakistan in 2017 and Iran in 2023, bringing the total to nine member states. The SCO also includes 3 observer states—Mongolia, Belarus, and Afghanistan (currently inactive)—and 14 dialogue partners: Sri Lanka, Turkey, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, Nepal, Armenia, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Myanmar, the Maldives, and the United Arab Emirates. The official languages of the SCO are Chinese and Russian.
Objective
The SCO Charter, effective from 2003, outlines its goals to promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity through cooperation in politics, economics, culture, and a coordinated effort to combat terrorism, extremism, and separatism.
Why India Refused To Sign SCO Joint Statement
Rajnath Singh refused to sign the joint statement because it made no mention of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 innocent lives, and failed to reflect India’s strong position on terror. While skipping any mention of Pahalgam, the document mentioned Balochistan, tacitly accusing India of creating unrest there. Pahalgam’s exclusion from the document appears to have been done at Pakistan’s behest as its all-weather ally, China, currently holds the SCO Chair.
This shows India’s sustained upholding of the ‘no compromise on terrorism’ position. India has long made it clear that terrorism and business as usual can’t go together. Rajnath’s action at the SCO is in line with that.
An ACT OF VALOR
This marks an unprecedented moment in the SCO’s history, with the Defence Ministers’ meeting ending without a joint communique, a highly unusual outcome that signals a serious fracture in consensus. Intelligence sources tell that India’s dissent was not a procedural objection, but a calculated disruption of what was a China-Pakistan strategic objective to corner India diplomatically.
What China And Pakistan Were Planning
According to top intelligence sources, China and Pakistan were attempting to use the SCO as a platform to undermine Operation Sindoor — India’s retaliatory strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack. The duo hoped to project Balochistan as a victim of external sabotage and shift global attention away from Pakistan’s role in sponsoring terrorism.
The plan was to reclaim victimhood by showcasing unrest in Balochistan as proof of India’s interference, thereby justifying crackdowns, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in the region. India’s refusal effectively derailed this narrative offensive.
Conclusion
The SCO summit 2025 will be remembered as a defining moment in India’s diplomatic history – a clear demonstration of the country’s commitment to combating terrorism. Hon’ble Defence Minister refusal to sign the joint statement sent a powerful message about India’s strategic autonomy and principled approach to international relations.
