Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed anger during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting when the joint declaration did not include any mention of the Pahalgam incident. As a result, he refused to sign the declaration.
The meeting was held in Beijing, China, and attended by defence ministers of all member countries. After reviewing the declaration, Rajnath Singh objected to the omission of the Pahalgam incident, which India considers significant. It is noteworthy that India had previously also refused to sign the BRICS summit’s joint declaration.
According to Indian media reports, this time the SCO joint declaration included an indirect accusation against India of fueling unrest in Balochistan, which New Delhi termed as unacceptable.
Pakistan was represented by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, while Rajnath Singh represented India. Both ministers sat at the same table during the session, but no bilateral meeting was held between them.
Analysts say India’s behaviour once again reflects an unconstructive diplomatic approach, especially at a time when global and regional platforms like BRICS and SCO are striving to promote peace, cooperation, and security.
