Xi, Sharif present, PM Modi tells SCO ‘there can be no place for double standards on terrorism’

With Chinese and Pakistani leaders, Xi Jinping and Shehbaz Sharif, in attendance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said at the SCO Summit that there cannot be any place for double standards on terrorism.

“We must dismantle entire ecosystem of terrorism as well as its financing. We must speak in one voice that there can be no place for no double standards in dealing with terrorism,” said Modi in Hindi at the SCO Summit at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

In a thinly veiled message to Pakistan, Modi said that “countries that have turned terrorism into a state policy and have provided them refuse and support, we must tell them that terrorism cannot be anyone’s strategic asset”.

Modi centred his remarks on the themes of security, connectivity, and economic opportunity, and projected SCO as a force of global good.

“When the world is experiencing uncertainty and instability, we have to turn our shared geography into shared opportunities, and we must bring positive changes in the lives of our peoples with our actions,” said Modi.

Even as India has sought to improve relations with China over the past two years, China has not reduced its support for Pakistan or its activities against India. During Operation Sindoor, China provided Pakistan with real-time intelligence and technical support. Observers have also argued that the Pahalgam attack would not have occurred had Pakistan’s top leadership not been confident of Chinese backing in the case of an Indian response.

‘Terrorism a challenge for entire humanity’

Modi said that the foremost responsibility of the SCO remains promoting peace and security.

Modi said that the terrorism remains a serious challenge for the entire humanity and counter-terrorism efforts must not be limited to reactionary steps.

“We must destroy the ecosystem of terrorism’s financing, recruitment, radicalisation, and safe havens ecosystem. We must speak in one voice that there cannot be any double-speak on this,” said Modi.

With both Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in attendance, Modi also said that no solution can be found on the battlefield as wars rage in West Asia and Europe.

“There is no solution on the battlefield. All wars and conflicts must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” said Modi.

The message echoed yesterday’s remarks when Modi had told Putin publicly that it was the time cease the “endless” war.

“Every day that the war continues, humanity is, in effect, set back a step, whilst every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace. We need to move from endless war to an ​end to the war, ​to a cessation ⁠of hostilities,” Modi had said on Monday.