New Delhi: India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has backed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent decision to refrain from signing the joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in China.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Jaishankar revealed that one member country of the SCO opposed the inclusion of any reference to terrorism in the joint communique, despite the fact that the SCO was originally formed to combat terrorism and ensure regional security.
“When the very purpose of the organization is to fight terrorism, and you’re not even allowed to mention the word—naturally, he (Rajnath Singh) was reluctant to endorse it,” Jaishankar stated.
Though Jaishankar did not explicitly name the country that objected, he made a veiled reference to Pakistan, suggesting: “You can guess which country it was.”
The statement underlines growing frustration within India over Pakistan’s consistent unwillingness to acknowledge or address terrorism in multilateral forums. Jaishankar’s remarks are seen as a clear diplomatic signal highlighting the contradiction in Pakistan’s position within the SCO framework.
