India has refused to sign the joint declaration at the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting. The decision reflects India’s disagreement with the document’s content, which reportedly did not mention the Pahalgam terrorist attack but included references to events in Pakistan. News reports indicate the omission of the Pahalgam attack, alongside the inclusion of Balochistan, was viewed as an indirect accusation against India. Rajnath Singh, the Defence Minister, represented India at the meeting held in Qingdao, China, on June 26.
During the meeting, Singh reiterated India’s strong condemnation of terrorism. He specifically mentioned the Pahalgam attack and India’s efforts to defend against terrorism through ‘Operation Sindoor.’ Singh also criticized nations that support terrorism, urging the SCO to condemn such practices. He advocated for a united front against terrorism and called for collective efforts to address these issues. Singh stated that the Pahalgam attack aligned with patterns seen in previous LeT attacks, leading to India’s launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, to neutralize cross border terrorist infrastructure.