Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday took a veiled dig at Pakistan while describing the horror of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack as he called out "cross-border terrorism," which some countries have made a key aspect of their policy and harbour terrorists.
The remarks came during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in China's Qingdao.
Rajnath Singh's jibe at Pakistan
"Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations, " he said.
He further mentioned that the pattern followed by terrorists in the Pahalgam attack matches with terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) previous attacks in India and that India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to defend itself and deter cross-border terrorism as he called out Pakistan.
"The pattern of Pahalgam terror attack matches with LeT's previous terror attacks in India. In exercising its right to defend against terrorism and pre-empt as well as deter further cross-border terrorist attacks, India on 7th May 2025 successfully launched Operation Sindoor to dismantle cross border terrorist infrastructure," he said.
The remarks come a few months after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including a Nepali national and a local pony handler.
Authorities have attributed the attack to The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is listed as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations. The defence minister said the victims were targeted and killed based on their religious identity.
Also Read: India refuses to sign joint statement at SCO meet in China, Rajnath stresses anti-terror stance
Bring perpetrators of terror acts to justice: Rajnath Singh to SCO
Singh also exhorted the SCO community to condemn acts of terror, calling them criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of the place, motivation and whoever committed them. He further reiterated India's need to bring such parties or people to justice.
"Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation whenever, wherever and by whom-so-ever committed. SCO members must condemn this evil unequivocally. We reiterate the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross border terrorism accountable and bring them to justice," said Singh
SCO meeting in China
China is hosting the two-day SCO Defence Ministers' meeting from June 25 to 26 in the eastern city of Qingdao. The gathering brings together defence ministers and senior officials from all ten full member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and the newest member, Belarus. Held under China's 2025 chairmanship, the meeting follows the theme "Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move."
Singh is also expected to hold bilateral talks with his Chinese and Russian counterparts on the sidelines. Key topics on the agenda include border security, regional defence cooperation, and joint efforts in counter-terrorism.
|
Moiz Abbas Shah, Pakistan Army major who claimed to capture Abhinandan, killed in encounter |
|
India may strike again within a year, warns Pakistan's opposition leader Omar Ayub | Watch |