In a move that came as a surprise to many experts, Pakistan signed a joint declaration issued at the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, that condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, and also concurred with India’s stance on terrorism. Islamabad’s sudden U-turn was a surprising move as it had previously opposed similar declarations at various international forums, including the UN Security Council.
Why Pakistan signed the SCO declaration on Pahalgam?
Following the SCO declaration, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that Islamabad completely agreed with how the joint-statement was worded as it matches its own stance on Pahalgam terror attack. “‘We certainly agree with the language used in the SCO statement regarding the Pahalgam incident. It matches our declared position,” the ministry said in a statement.
It claimed that the position of SCO was in sync with Pakistan’s stance on the Jaffer Express hijacking, as the declaration also condemned the terror attacks in Khuzdar and on the Jaffer Express train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
On New Delhi’s stance on the India-Pakistan issue, the foreign ministry spokesperson said “We cannot comment on Delhi’s uneasiness. This is a matter between the two countries”, while also ‘advising’ India to walk the path of peace and avoid confrontation.
What did SCO declaration say on Pahalgam attack?
Earlier this week, a joint declaration was adopted at the SCO Summit 2025 in China’s Tianjin city, that strongly condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and concurred with India’s position that “double standards” in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable.
The declaration said the SCO members, while reaffirming their firm commitment to the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism, stress the inadmissibility of attempts to use terrorist, separatist and extremist groups for “mercenary purposes”.
“The member states strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, stress that double standards in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable, and call on the international community to combat terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists,” it said.
