There can be no justification of terrorism and no double standards on tackling it, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)'s Council of Heads of Government meeting in Tajikistan's Dushanbe.
Singh called terrorism “one of the gravest threats to development” and said that it not only harms lives but also investment and commerce.
"Terrorism radicalises societies and keeps our youth devoid of opportunities that they deserve,” Singh said, in the presence of Pakistan's foreign minister and deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar.
“So, there can be no justification for terrorism. There can be no double standards in tackling it. There can be no space for people who finance and support terrorists or provide them a safe haven. The entire ecosystem of terrorism should be ended strongly and collectively,” Singh said.
Ishaq Dar was seated across from Rajnath Singh when he made the remarks. Pakistan's foreign ministry also shared a video of the meeting that shows Singh and Dar seated at the same table.
Rajnath Singh is representing India at the SCO Heads of Government meeting in the Tajik capital, where leaders and representatives of member countries have gathered for discussions under the regional grouping.
Earlier in September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also said that SCO member countries need to work together to dismantle the entire “ecosystem of terrorism”.
“We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens,” PM Modi said at an SCO meeting attended by Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin, Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian and others.
Also Read: 'Countries that use terror...': Modi's message to SCO members, Pakistan among them
India's tough talk on terror
India accuses Pakistan's government and army of supporting and harbouring terrorism. A fortnight after the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, India launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The operation and a subsequent military conflict resulted in heavy military losses for Pakistan. “While India believes in tourism, Pakistan considers terrorism as tourism, which is very dangerous for the world," Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, days after the cessation of hostilities was announced.
India maintains that it doesn't look at terrorism as different from those harbouring it.
Also Read: IAF's S-400 shot down 5 Pakistani fighter jets during Operation Sindoor: Air chief marshal AP Singh
Defence minister Rajnath Singh is in Tajikistan on a two-day official visit to represent India at the SCO council's government meeting.
According to news agency PTI, Singh was accorded a ceremonial welcome on his arrival at the Dushanbe airport. He was greeted by Tajikistan's Defence Minister Emomali Sobirzoda and Sherali Jonon of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.