External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar strongly condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack during his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting in Tianjin, China. He described the attack as a deliberate attempt to destabilize Jammu & Kashmir’s tourism economy and sow religious divisions, reaffirming India’s unwavering stance against terrorism.
SCO Must Stay Committed to Fighting Terrorism
Jaishankar urged the SCO—a bloc that includes China, Russia, Pakistan, and India—to uphold its founding principles of combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
“The three evils that SCO was founded to combat were terrorism, separatism, and extremism. Not surprisingly, they often occur together. Recently, India witnessed a graphic example in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam,”he said.
Highlighting the UN Security Council’s strong condemnation of the attack, Jaishankar emphasized that India has taken decisive action against the perpetrators and will continue to do so.
“The UNSC underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of this reprehensible act accountable. We have since done exactly that and will continue doing so,”he asserted.
Veiled Criticism of China’s BRI
Without directly naming China, Jaishankar stressed that cooperation within the SCO must respect territorial integrity and sovereignty—a subtle reference to Beijing’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which includes projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“It is essential that such cooperation is based on mutual respect, sovereign equality, and in accordance with the territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states,”he said.
Global Challenges Call for Stronger Cooperation
Jaishankar also addressed broader global instability, pointing to rising conflicts, competition, and coercion.
“The challenge before us is to stabilize the global order, de-risk various dimensions, and address longstanding challenges that threaten our collective interests,”he said.
Key Takeaways:
1. Pahalgam attack was aimed at disrupting J&K’s economy and fueling religious tensions.
2. India will continue taking strong action against terrorism.
3. SCO must remain firm against terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
4. Jaishankar indirectly criticizes China’s BRI, emphasizing sovereignty concerns.
This was Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the 2020 Galwan clashes, making his remarks on terrorism and territorial integrity particularly significant.
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(With inputs from PTI)