EAM raises Pahalgam attack at SCO meet

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) needs to remain true to its founding objective of combating terrorism and extremism and take an "uncompromising" position on combating the challenges, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at a conclave of the grouping on Tuesday while strongly justifying India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

- 

With his counterparts from Pakistan, China and other SCO member nations listening, Jaishankar said the Pahalgam attack was “deliberately conducted” to undermine the tourism economy of Jammu and Kashmir and sow a religious divide, asserting that India will remain firm in its response to confront terrorism.

In an address at the SCO foreign ministers meeting in this Chinese city, Jaishankar said India will continue to positively approach new ideas and proposals, asserting that such cooperation must be based on “mutual respect”, “sovereign equality” and in accordance with “territorial integrity and sovereignty” of member states.

The remarks came against the backdrop of growing global criticism of China's mega connectivity project -- the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) -- on the ground that it showed disregard for the sovereignty of the nations and lacked transparency.