SCO outcome document sans reference to terror unacceptable: Jaishankar

EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday defended India's refusal to back the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers' joint statement, saying it was unacceptable that a bloc founded with the principle objective of combating terrorism, omitted a reference to it.

- JAYANTH JACOB @ New Delhi

India had sought explicit mention of terrorism, especially cross-border terror, in the outcome document of the defence ministers' conclave, also seeking a reference to the recent Pahalgam terror attack.

However, one member country — Pakistan — opposed the inclusion, prompting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to decline signing the statement.