Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s address at the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Tajikistan, on Tuesday marks another significant occasion since Operation Sindoor (2025) when India has used the multilateral forum to raise the issue of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. He said that regional cooperation cannot be meaningful if countries approached terrorism selectively. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s presence added significance to the remarks, underscoring New Delhi’s diplomatic challenge within an organisation whose members have divergent strategic interests and security priorities. India has consistently argued that terrorism cannot be divorced from the broader agenda of regional peace, economic integration and development. By calling on SCO member-states to dismantle the ecosystem of terrorism, he reiterated that the threat must be addressed at its source rather than treated as an isolated security challenge. The intervention follows India’s refusal to endorse the joint statement at the 2025 SCO Defence Ministers’ meet in Qingdao, China. New Delhi had objected to a draft that failed to reflect its concerns over cross-border and Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, including the Pahalgam attack (2025), while referring to militant activities in Balochistan. India maintained that such an approach would undermine the organisation’s credibility by overlooking the threat it had brought before its members.
The SCO has the potential to advance regional stability, trade and connectivity instead of becoming another source of strategic friction. Yet, its effectiveness will remain limited if political disagreements prevent members from developing a common approach to security threats. India’s position is not that cooperation on trade, culture, connectivity and development must be suspended until every security dispute is resolved. Rather, these objectives cannot be met independently of a stable security environment. Economic corridors require predictable borders, investors need confidence in the rule of law, and transport networks must be violence- and disruption-free. Connectivity projects such as the International North-South Transport Corridor and the development of Chabahar Port offer Central Asia connectivity with wider markets. Their long-term value, however, depends on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, alongside conditions that allow goods, capital and people to move freely. The SCO’s challenge is to translate its stated commitment to combating terrorism into practical cooperation through intelligence-sharing, action against terror financing, disruption of recruitment networks and the denial of safe havens to terrorist groups. While retaining its principle against terrorism, India should lead efforts to achieve more regional cooperation in tackling it.
Published - October 22, 2026 12:20 am IST