Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Tianjin on Tuesday, strongly condemned the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. He urged member nations to uphold the SCO’s founding principles by maintaining a firm and unified stand against terrorism.
This marks Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020. Addressing the council, he emphasized that the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people, was a deliberate attempt to disrupt Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism industry and incite religious discord.
Quoting the UN Security Council’s strong condemnation of the attack, Jaishankar reminded attendees that the Council called for bringing the perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of such heinous acts to justice. “This attack was not just an act of violence but a calculated move to undermine peace and economic revival in the region,” he said.
The minister stressed that the SCO was founded to combat the “three evils”—terrorism, separatism, and extremism—which, he pointed out, often manifest together. “It is imperative that the SCO remains true to its founding goals and takes an uncompromising position on these threats,” he asserted.
Beyond regional terrorism, Jaishankar highlighted the broader global context of instability, noting the rise of conflict, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical coercion. “We are meeting at a time of considerable disorder in the international system. The challenge before us is to stabilise the global order and de-risk various dimensions of our cooperation,” he said.
Jaishankar emphasized that the evolving world order is becoming increasingly multipolar, not only through the redistribution of national capacities but also with the rise of influential groupings like the SCO. He underscored the importance of unity and collaboration among SCO members to shape global affairs meaningfully.
“Our ability to influence the world will depend on our commitment to a shared agenda and inclusive decision-making,” he said, calling for deeper intra-SCO cooperation and mutual trust to address both regional and global challenges.
