India Refuses to Sign SCO Joint Statement Over Pahalgam Attack Omission
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | 2025 SCO Summit in Qingdao, China |
| Key Incident | India's Defence Minister refused to sign the joint statement |
| Reason for Refusal | Omission of Pahalgam terror attack while highlighting Jaffar Express hijacking in Pakistan |
| SCO Background | Founded in 2001 (evolved from Shanghai Five, 1996); Headquarters: Beijing; RATS: Tashkent |
| Members (2025) | India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Belarus |
| Key Focus Areas | Counter-terrorism, Regional security, Economic cooperation |
| India's Stance | Zero-tolerance for selective treatment of terror incidents; Principled stand despite diplomatic pressure |
| Strategic Implications | Raises concerns about SCO's counter-terror credibility; Highlights fault lines in multilateral cooperation |
| China's Role | 2025 SCO chair; Excluded Pahalgam attack; Most members back BRI (India opposes) |
| India's Strategic Autonomy | Engages in SCO, BRICS, Quad, G20 without alliance commitments; Focus on issue-based engagement |
| Future Outlook | India likely to pursue selective engagement within SCO; Active participation in functional areas like RATS |