At SCO, PM slams terror, strikes strategic balance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday questioned double standards in the fight against terrorism and emphasised the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) role in promoting an "inclusive world order" as leaders gathered for a summit that aimed to position the 10-member bloc as an alternative to US world leadership.

- Rezaul H Laskar

Addressing a gathering in the Chinese port city of Tianjin that included his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif, Modi described the “disgusting” terror attack in Pahalgam as a challenge to every country and said SCO members should question whether the support of terrorism by some countries is acceptable.

With the SCO Summit held against the backdrop of the Donald Trump administration's tariff policy roiling the global economy, Modi suggested the bloc should do more to reform global institutions and address the aspirations of the Global South. “The SCO can play a guiding role in promoting multilateralism and an inclusive world order,” he said.

Before the summit opened, images showed Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin holding hands and walking towards Chinese President Xi Jinping in the meeting hall. The three leaders formed a circle, laughing and smiling as they spoke, surrounded by translat ors, an apparent effort to convey solidarity.

Modi said India believes the three main pillars of SCO are security, connectivity and opportunity, but made the fight against terrorism the thrust of his address at the summit.

India, which has been affected by terrorism for four decades, has consistently stressed the importance of unity in combating the menace, he said.

"Recently, we witnessed the most heinous face of terrorism in Pahalgam... This attack was not only an assault on the conscience of India, but also an open challenge to every nation, and every individual who believes in humanity," he said.