Fri Jun 27 08:46:51 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**India Blocks SCO Communique Over Terrorism Dispute with Pakistan**
*New Delhi – June 27, 2025* – India refused to endorse a joint communique at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting after failing to secure the inclusion of a reference to terrorism, specifically addressing concerns about Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated on Friday that India sought a specific mention of terrorism in the outcome document but faced resistance from one member nation, widely understood to be Pakistan. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh initially refused to sign the communique on Thursday due to the omission of the Pahalgam terror attack and the lack of explicit condemnation of terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
According to sources, Singh demanded the inclusion of the terror attack in the communique, while the Pakistani delegation pressed for the inclusion of a paragraph about alleged militant activities in Balochistan, seemingly attempting to blame India.
Mr. Jaishankar emphasized that combating terrorism is a primary objective of the SCO, which operates on the principle of consensus. He explained that due to the objection of one nation, the outcome document was unacceptable to India. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan and underscores the challenges of achieving consensus on security issues within the SCO framework.
First Piper 