No double standards on terror, countries backing it should be called out: PM Modi at SCO summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday delivered a blunt message at the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, declaring that “double standards on terrorism will not be acceptable” and citing last month’s Pahalgam attack as an example of the “gruesome face of terror” haunting the region.

Addressing leaders of the 10-member grouping, including Pakistan, Modi described terrorism as a “shared challenge to humanity” and pressed SCO states to act with “unity, consistency and determination”.

“It is natural to ask: can the open support of terrorism by some countries be acceptable to us? We must state clearly, and in one voice, that terrorism in any form, in any manifestation, will not be tolerated,” he said, in a pointed reference to Pakistan.

India has blamed Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba’s proxy outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF), for the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, which killed 26 people.

Calling the attack “not just an assault on India’s conscience, but an open challenge to every nation that believes in humanity”, Modi said the tragedy underscored the urgency of collective action.

The Prime Minister reminded the leaders that India has endured “merciless terrorism” for over four decades, leaving countless families devastated. He cautioned that the SCO’s credibility itself hinged on its ability to uphold its founding mandate of combating the three evils -- terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Praising the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, Modi pointed out that India this year led a joint information operation against Al-Qaeda and affiliated groups, underscoring its commitment to strengthening counter-terror cooperation within the bloc.