New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a strong message against terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, calling for a united global approach to dismantle the entire ecosystem that sustains terror.
Speaking in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PM Modi said conflicts cannot be resolved on the battlefield and stressed that wars and disputes must be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy.
On terrorism, the Prime Minister called for a collective stand against what he described as double standards. “We must speak with one voice that there can be no place for double standards on terrorism,” he said, urging countries to target terrorism financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens.
His remarks assume particular significance for India amid concerns over Pakistan-linked terrorist networks. India had launched Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack last year, targeting terrorist infrastructure and Pakistani military assets.
PM Modi also emphasised that infrastructure cooperation must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. The statement is significant in the context of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), portions of which pass through Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), a territory India maintains is illegally occupied by Pakistan.
The SCO summit, attended by leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, is being held in an expanded SCO-Plus format. India has been a full SCO member since 2017.
