Defence Minister Rajnath Singh slams Pakistan in SCO forum, declares Operation Sindoor exposed fragility of terror strongholds
by Utsav RoyDuring the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting held in Qingdao, China, on Thursday, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh delivered a strong message, indirectly targeting Pakistan. He asserted that nations providing sanctuary to terrorists deserve global condemnation and that the SCO should take a firm stance against such practices.
Speaking at the two-day gathering attended by defence ministers from SCO member states, Singh said that certain countries are deliberately using cross-border terrorism as a strategic tool. Without directly naming Pakistan, he criticized this duplicity, stating, “Some countries are using terrorism across borders as a policy instrument and offering refuge to terrorists. Such hypocrisy has no place in a responsible global community. SCO should not shy away from criticizing these actions.”
Singh also brought attention to the recent terror incident in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. He informed the SCO that The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, had claimed responsibility for the deadly assault in which 26 people, including a Nepali national, lost their lives. “The attack deliberately targeted innocent tourists after profiling them based on their religion. It was a brutal, cowardly act,” he said.
Highlighting India’s firm response, Singh said that on May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor, a counter-terror mission aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure across the border. He noted that the Pahalgam attack bore similarities to past Lashkar-e-Taiba operations within India, confirming the involvement of known terror groups.
Singh emphasized that the region faces significant challenges, particularly in the form of rising radicalism, extremism, and terrorism. He stressed that lasting peace and development are impossible as long as such threats persist, especially with weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of non-state actors.
He urged all SCO nations to stand united against these threats to safeguard regional peace and stability.
The SCO includes India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. China currently holds the SCO chairmanship for 2025 under the theme “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.”