India on Thursday refused to sign a joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China, preventing its release, with the Indian foreign ministry claiming the statement had not reflected Delhi’s concerns on terrorism.
Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told media India’s desire for its concerns to be reflected was “not acceptable to one particular country.” He did not share any more details. However, Indian media claimed Delhi’s refusal to sign stemmed from the statement’s omission of any reference to the Pahalgam attack in India-held Kashmir that killed 26 tourists.
India, without offering any evidence, blamed Pakistan for the attack. Despite denials from Islamabad and an offer to join an impartial probe, Delhi used it as pretext to stage missile strikes on civilian infrastructure, triggering a brief conflict that brought the neighboring nations to the brink of war. The conflict was halted after the U.S. brokered a ceasefire. While U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for the two countries’ ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi insists it was achieved bilaterally.
The SCO defense ministers’ meeting in China was held ahead of the annual leaders’ summit due for later this year.
Indian media claims Delhi perceived the joint statement as being “pro-Pakistan” due to its omission of the Pahalgam attack and reference to militant activities in Balochistan. Islamabad accuses Delhi of funding terrorist in Balochistan, primarily perpetrated by nationalist groups.
Speaking Out of Turn
Contrary to the Indian media claims, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said Singh refused to sign the joint statement after being denied a second turn to speak.
In an interview with Geo News, he said India addressed the event in accordance with the alphabetical order, with Pakistan speaking fifth. During his address, he said, he had mentioned the Jaffar Express attack and [convicted Indian spy] Kulbhushan Jadhav. At this point, he recalled, the Indian minister had sought another chance to speak from conference chairman China, which was declined.
Upon rejection of this request, India declined to sign the joint declaration, said Asif, maintaining this had further isolated India internationally. According to Asif, the joint statement—which cannot be released if any country refuses to sign it—referenced both India-held Kashmir and terrorism in Balochistan.