India’s Refusal to Sign SCO Draft Statement:
Defence Minister refused to endorse the SCO joint statement during the Qingdao meet, objecting to the omission of India-specific terror concerns.The SCO is a Eurasian intergovernmental organisation focused on political, economic, security, and defence cooperation, particularly in Central and South Asia.Established in: Formally founded on 15 June 2001, evolving from the 1996 Shanghai Five initiative. Founding Members: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. Current Members (2025): 10 countries — India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. India Refused because The draft excluded the Pahalgam terror attack while highlighting the Jaffar Express hijack in Pakistan.
India sought balanced representation of terror threats from all member states, but one country (likely Pakistan) blocked the inclusion.
