Peace cannot co-exist with terrorism: Rajnath Singh backs Op Sindoor

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh slammed member state Pakistan for perpetrating cross-border terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in China, and urged other member nations to speak out against acts of terror. He also referred to Operation Sindoor, launched in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attacks, as a response to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism."The biggest challenges in our region are related to peace, security and trust deficit," Singh said. "India believes that reformed multilateralism can help build cooperation to prevent conflict between countries by creating mechanisms for dialogue and collaboration. No country, however large and powerful, can manage alone." Taking a direct dig at Pakistan, Rajnath Singh said, "Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations."

#WATCH | Qingdao, China | "I believe that the biggest challenges that we are facing in our region are related to peace, security and trust-deficit. The root cause of these problems is increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism. Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with… pic.twitter.com/7PxVOPRur1

— ANI (@ANI) June 26, 2025

Before the meeting commenced on Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun, and defence ministers from member countries — including Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — gathered for a group photo.