The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Bishkek summit has produced a declaration that is significant for India not simply because it condemns terrorism or refers specifically to the Pahalgam attack, but because it exposes the increasingly complex geopolitical choices confronting New Delhi. The SCO’s 25th anniversary summit brought together India, China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan at a time when West Asia is in turmoil, the Ukraine war continues and the international system is becoming increasingly polarised. Its Bishkek Declaration reflects these contradictions: it strongly defends Iran’s sovereignty, opposes unilateral sanctions and condemns terrorism without double standards, while avoiding a direct condemnation of Russia over Ukraine. For India, this is both an opportunity and a diplomatic balancing challenge.

Special mention of Pahalgam Terror attack is a Diplomatic Gain for India

The most important gain for New Delhi is the declaration’s language on terrorism. SCO leaders condemned terrorism in all its forms, rejected double standards and called for dismantling terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens. More importantly, the declaration specifically referred to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, expressed condolences to the victims and called for those responsible to face justice. This gives India a stronger diplomatic platform to underline its contention that terrorism cannot be divided into “good” and “bad” terrorism according to political convenience.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharpened that argument by telling the summit that terrorism remains a grave challenge to humanity and that countries using terrorism as an instrument of state policy cannot be allowed to treat it as a strategic asset. Though Pakistan, represented by Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, presented itself as a victim of terrorism, the exchange demonstrated India's determination to keep cross-border terrorism at the centre of the SCO's security agenda. The significance lies less in the immediate political confrontation with Pakistan than in India's success in embedding its anti-terrorism concerns in the collective language of the organisation.

Iran and the Contradiction of Sovereignty

Yet the declaration also reveals a major contradiction. The SCO reaffirmed sovereignty and territorial integrity as fundamental principles while strongly supporting Iran in the conflict with the United States and Israel. It condemned military attacks on Iran and opposed unilateral coercive measures and sanctions. It also backed Iran's right under the Nuclear........

© Free Press Journal