India refuses to sign SCO statement over Pahalgam
“The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting couldn’t issue a joint communique on Thursday [June 26] after India refused to endorse the document because it didn’t address its terrorism-related concerns, officials aware of the matter said.”
“Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who attended the meeting at Qingdao in China, refused to sign the joint communique as it was silent on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed but mentioned Balochistan and the hijacking of the Jaffer Express by Baloch militants in March, the officials said, asking not to be named.”
“China, the current president of the SCO, has deep military and strategic ties with Pakistan, which it strongly supported during the recent four-day clashes with India under Operation Sindoor. The operation was India’s direct military response to the Pahalgam terror strike, the worst attack on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.”