Explained: How India plans to put Pakistan in the dock on terrorism at the SCO Summit

Indian army soldiers stand guard near the Line of Control (LoC) between Pakistan and India in Kashmir on May 20, 2025. (Photo by TAUSEEF MUSTAFA / AFP)

New Delhi is set to take a hard line on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China next week, insisting that the joint declaration must carry a strong condemnation of terrorism, including cross-border attacks.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday made it clear that India will not allow terrorism, particularly the kind perpetrated from across the border, to be glossed over in the summit’s final communique.

“As far as the declaration of the summit is concerned, the text is under finalisation. We are working with other members and partners to see that there should be a reiteration of strong condemnation of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. But the text is under finalisation,” said Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West), during a joint press briefing alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

The remark underscores New Delhi’s determination to corner Islamabad on international platforms. Pakistan, itself a member of the SCO, is set to attend the summit, but India is ensuring that its role as a sponsor of cross-border terrorism is spotlighted.

Rajnath Singh’s stand at Qingdao: No endorsement without naming Pahalgam

This is not the first time India has refused to dilute its stance. In June, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao but declined to sign the joint declaration because it failed to mention the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, carried out by Pakistan-backed terrorists from The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Instead, the draft declaration included references to militant activities in Balochistan -- a move seen as Islamabad’s attempt to deflect blame. India flatly refused to endorse the text, leading to the meeting concluding without a joint declaration.

“Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of motivation, whenever, wherever and whom-so-ever committed. SCO members must condemn this evil unequivocally. We reiterate the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors, reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, accountable and bring them to justice,” Singh told SCO members at that meeting.

India’s strategy: Isolate Pakistan within the bloc

By insisting on the inclusion of cross-border terrorism in the Tianjin declaration, India is once again pressing SCO members to acknowledge Pakistan’s role in harbouring and exporting terror. New Delhi’s stand ensures that Islamabad’s attempts to whitewash its image within the bloc are exposed.

With the memory of Pahalgam still fresh and Pakistan’s terror proxies continuing to operate with impunity, India is preparing to use the SCO platform to corner Pakistan diplomatically, making sure that its state sponsorship of terrorism cannot be ignored or legitimised by silence.