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SCO members condemn Pahalgam terror attack: 'Perpetrators must be...'
India had pushed for the condemnation of cross-border terrorism in joint statements and documents that the 10-member SCO bloc would adopt.
Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, calling for perpetrators behind the attack to be brought to justice.
"The Member States strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. They expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the dead and the wounded. They further stated that perpetrators, organisers and sponsors of such attacks must be brought to justice," reads the declaration.
The SCO declaration also stressed that double standards were unacceptable with regards to terrorism, a message also conveyed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address at the summit earlier in the day. “The Member States strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, stress that double standards in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable, and call on the international community to combat terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists…,” the declaration said.
Before PM Modi departed for China to the attend the much-anticipated summit, the external affairs ministry had said that India expects strong condemnation of the deadly terror attack that killed 26 civilians back in April.
India had pushed for the condemnation of cross-border terrorism in joint statements and documents that the 10-member SCO bloc would adopt. Notably, Pakistan is also among the SCO member states, with some others being Russia and China.
India has always voiced its criticism of terrorism and those harbouring it. At the SCO Summit, a pivotal part of PM Modi's address was his condemnation of terrorism and his assertion that “no double standards” would be acceptable in this regard.
“In the fight against terrorism, India stands firm on unity, and the SCO has an important role,” PM Modi said, adding that any kind of double standard is not acceptable on the issue of terror.
Without naming Pakistan, PM Modi also tried to draw the member states' attention to “some nations” openly supporting terrorism. In the past, several Indian officials, and PM Modi, have accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorism, making it clear that New Delhi doesn't see terrorists and their supports as different.
Over a month after the Pahalgam attack, PM Modi had accused Pakistan of engaging in war through terrorism. “While India believes in tourism, Pakistan considers terrorism as tourism, which is very dangerous for the world. I want to ask the people of Pakistan, what have you achieved? Today, India is the fourth-largest economy in the world. But what is your situation? Those who promoted terrorism have destroyed your future,” he had said back in May.
He had also urged Pakistani nationals to come forward and choose peace, urging them to join the fight to end terrorism.
