Beijing: In a big win for India, the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Monday condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Notably, Pakistan is also part of the nine-member group. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also present at the SCO Summit in China's Tianjin when the group condemned the terror attack conducted by Pakistan-based terrorists.
In a joint statement, the leader of the SCO expressed sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of the terror attack. The group reported stressed that perpetrators and sponsors of such attacks should be brought to justice.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the SCO Summit. He held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday, the first time after the 2020 Galwan clash. He will also hold Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Summit.
While addressing the Summit, PM Modi took an indirect dig at Pakistan as he called for shunning the double standards for combating terrorism. Without naming Pakistan, the Prime Minister said it is natural to have the question: "Can the open support of terrorism by some countries be acceptable to us?".
He said India has been suffering the brunt of terrorism for the last four decades. "So many mothers lost their children, and so many children became orphans. Recently, we saw a very disgusting form of terrorism in Pahalgam," he added.
"This attack was not only a blow to India's conscience, it was an open challenge to every country, every person who believes in humanity," the Prime Minister said.
"We must clearly and unanimously state that no double standards on terrorism will be acceptable. We must jointly oppose terrorism in all its forms and colours," he further said.
On August 30, PM Modi arrived in China for the annual SCO Summit in Tianjin. Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister received a warm welcome from members of the Indian diaspora, who greeted him with Indian flags and cheers.
