'Terrorism epicenters...no longer safe': India targets Pakistan at SCO meeting

'Terrorism epicenters...no longer safe': India targets Pakistan at SCO meeting

India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has issued a veiled warning to Pakistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defense Ministers's Meeting in China's Qingdao.

Without naming Pakistan, Singh said some countries use cross-border terrorism as a policy instrument and provide shelter to terrorists.

"There should be no place for such double standards," he added, calling on SCO member states to condemn such actions.

Peace cannot co-exist with terrorism: Singh

He also cited a number of initiatives taken by India to demonstrate "zero tolerance for terrorism."

"We have shown that epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe...we will not hesitate to target them," he said.

Singh stressed that peace, security, and trust deficit are the biggest challenges in the region.

He also said that terrorism is a major threat to peace and prosperity.

"Peace cannot co-exist with terrorism," he said, urging SCO members to condemn all acts of terrorism unequivocally.

Terror attack in J&K's Pahalgam

Singh's remarks come after a recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.

The attack killed 26 civilians, including a Nepali national and a local pony handler.

The Resistance Front, a proxy of the UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, took responsibility for this heinous act.

SCO defense ministers' meeting in Qingdao

The two-day SCO Defense Ministers's meeting, hosted by China in Qingdao, is attended by defense ministers and senior officials from all 10 full member states.

The meeting is held under the 2025 Chinese Chairmanship with the theme "Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move."

Singh will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from China and Russia during this event to discuss border security, regional defense cooperation, and counter-terrorism collaboration.