‘SCO shouldn’t hesitate to criticize nations which promote terrorism’

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should not hesitate to criticize the nations which use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies, provide shelter to terrorists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. He was addressing the SCO Heads of State at the 23rd Summit, which was held virtually in Delhi.

“There should be no place for double standards on such serious matters,” he said, though he did not name Pakistan and China. It may be recalled that Beijing recently vetoed blocked a proposal by the US and India at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Sajid Mir as a global terrorist. Mir is among the masterminds of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

“Terrorism has become a major threat to regional and global peace. Dealing with this challenge requires decisive action. Regardless of its form or manifestation, we must unite in our fight against terrorism,” Modi said.

“The situation in Afghanistan has directly impacted the security of all of us. India’s concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are similar to those of most of the SCO countries. We must come together to strive for the well-being of the people of Afghanistan,” he said.

“Humanitarian assistance to Afghan citizens, the formation of an inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, and ensuring the rights of women, children, and minorities are our shared priorities,” the Prime Minister said, adding that in the past two decades, India has have contributed to the economic and social development of Afghanistan. “Even after the events of 2021, we continued to provide humanitarian assistance. It is important that Afghanistan’s territory is not used to spread instability in neighboring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies.”

Modi said that India has established five new pillars of cooperation within the SCO: startups and innovation, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, digital inclusion, and the shared Buddhist heritage.

India has made efforts to ensure that cooperation within the SCO is not limited to governments alone, he said. Under India’s chairmanship, new initiatives have been taken to enhance contact and engagement among people. For the first time, the SCO Millet Food Festival, Film Festival, SCO Surajkund Craft Mela, Think Tanks Conference, and International Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage were organized, Modi added.