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India Refuses to Sign SCO Declaration Over Pahalgam Snub, Balochistan Accusation
Tensions flare at SCO meet in Beijing as Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh refuses to sign joint declaration over no mention of Pahalgam attack & indirect Balochistan unrest accusations.
ND
by News Desk
2025-06-26
India Refuses to Sign SCO Declaration Over Pahalgam Snub, Balochistan Accusation

Tensions between India and Pakistan once again spilled onto the diplomatic stage as Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign the joint declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense Ministers' Conference held in Beijing.

According to Indian media, Singh was reportedly angered over the absence of any reference to the April Pahalgam attack, in which 26 Indian tourists were killed in occupied Kashmir. The incident had drawn severe accusations from New Delhi, which blamed Pakistan for the violence — a claim Islamabad strongly rejected.

Singh’s frustration deepened after the SCO joint declaration allegedly included language indirectly accusing India of contributing to unrest in Balochistan, a region where Pakistan has long blamed Indian intelligence agencies for stoking separatist violence.

Pahalgam Attack Fallout

The April 2025 attack in the Pahalgam region of Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir escalated already fragile ties between the two nuclear neighbors.

In its aftermath, India not only suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a decades-old water-sharing agreement between the two countries, but also launched strikes across the Line of Control, prompting a forceful military response from Pakistan.

While India maintains that Pakistan-based elements were behind the Pahalgam incident, Islamabad has denied any involvement and condemned the targeting of civilians, warning against using unverified claims for regional destabilization.

SCO Divisions on Display

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes key regional powers such as China, Russia, Pakistan, and India, has sought to play a stabilizing role in regional security matters.

However, the latest fallout suggests deep divisions within the bloc — particularly between New Delhi and Islamabad — that may hamper cooperative efforts in areas like counter-terrorism, border security, and regional economic integration.

Diplomatic Reactions

While China and Russia refrained from publicly commenting on the issue, Indian media reports suggest that Rajnath Singh’s refusal to endorse the declaration was met with diplomatic concern among SCO members, who urged restraint and dialogue.

Pakistan has not officially commented on Singh’s reaction to the declaration, but officials familiar with the matter noted that accusations against India regarding Balochistan unrest were raised by multiple members, not just Pakistan.
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Balochistan

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