New Delhi, Sep 1: Foreign and defence experts on Monday welcomed the joint statement of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) condemning the Pahalgam terror attack, lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for firmly presenting India’s stand on cross-border terrorism on the global platform.
The SCO member states strongly denounced the April 22 terror strike in Pahalgam, declaring that those behind such acts of violence “must be brought to justice”. In the Tianjin Declaration issued by the Council of Heads of State, the statement read, “The Member States strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. They expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the dead and the wounded. They further stated that perpetrators, organisers and sponsors of such attacks must be brought to justice.”
The condemnation followed PM Modi’s appeal to the SCO leaders to adopt a resolute position against terrorism and to work collectively to eliminate the menace. Delivering his opening address at the summit in the presence of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PM Modi referred to the Pahalgam attack and thanked “friends” for standing with India.
He simultaneously criticised the double standards of nations that openly support terrorism. The member states reiterated their commitment to combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism, underlining that exploiting such groups for mercenary purposes was unacceptable.
The declaration stressed that terrorism in all its forms must be condemned and warned against applying double standards in the global fight against terrorism, while also calling for international cooperation to curb the cross-border movement of terrorists.
PM Modi’s participation in the SCO Summit also comes amid the US tariff hikes. Former diplomat Mahesh Sachdev, speaking to IANS, stated that PM Modi had sent a clear message by highlighting the Pahalgam terror attack, underlining India’s strength and capability to respond decisively to such incidents. He also said that India brings “diversity” to the SCO summit, being both a “large economy and a vibrant democracy”, which is “effective, capable, and significant”.
He also said that as the world’s largest democracy and most populous nation, India’s presence adds “unique value and diversity to the SCO that would not exist without it”. “This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China after seven years, and after the clash with Chinese soldiers in Galwan. Along with this, he has also discussed many important issues with Xi Jinping. This is a positive initiative, and it is good for India, the way Trump has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on India,” he said.
Sachdev also stressed that despite pressures, India has consistently maintained neutrality in its relations with the United States. West Asia expert and veteran journalist Waiel Awwad emphasised the significance of the SCO addressing India’s concerns over cross-border terrorism.
“If there is any success or any good outcome of the Tianjin summit of the SCO, it has to address India’s concerns. I think being a security organisation, it has to look into matters which concern the members of the organisation. And I think that India’s concern about cross-border terrorism is one of the most important for any meeting to take place, especially in a platform where the South-South cooperation in the counterterrorism measures has been taking place,” Awwad told IANS.
Defence expert Captain Anil Gaur (Retd) underlined the importance of PM Modi’s remarks at the summit, where he called on the nations to condemn the cross-border terrorism and double standards of the nations supporting it.
“This was the best platform for India and our Prime Minister. Both China and Pakistan were present. There are many resolutions against Pakistan in the United Nations, but China has always kept them on hold. After 6-8 months of being on hold, they are usually dropped… Our Prime Minister said two important things in front of them: terrorism in any form is unacceptable, and this is the biggest threat in the world,” he told IANS.
PM Modi also met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit and discussed the border issues, along with the ways to further elevate the stabilisation of the bilateral ties. Reacting to this, former Uttar Pradesh DGP Prakash Singh told IANS, “The discussions between India and China have some encouraging aspects, but there are also points of concern that require careful attention. Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke about mutual cooperation, trade, and collaboration, which, from China’s perspective, are perfectly valid.”
However, he expressed unease over the “lack of detailed discussion” on the India-China border situation. Foreign affairs expert Professor Brijesh Mishra also highlighted the broader geopolitical context amid the US tariff hike.
“When BRICS was founded, the idea was to create an independent association to reduce US dominance and support developing nations. Just like that, SCO was also established. Since the Modi government came to power, efforts have focused on strengthening national capacity to avoid compromising India’s interests.
Even Donald Trump acknowledged BRICS as a challenge to the US dollar. Against this backdrop, the SCO summit becomes very important,” Mishra said. Praising the Centre’s firm stance of not compromising in front of US tariff threats, he added, “It is good that the current government is not being pressurised by any country.”
IANS