Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lashed out at countries “sponsoring, aiding and funding” terrorism and told top leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit that such states must be held accountable, in a veiled reference to Pakistan whose premier Imran Khan was among the audience. “Countries sponsoring, aiding and funding terrorism must be held accountable,” he said.
Addressing the SCO Summit here, Modi also called for a global conference to combat the scourge of terrorism. He highlighted the spirit and ideals of the SCO to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism. India advocates a terrorism-free society, he said.
“During my visit to Sri Lanka last Sunday, I visited the St Anthony’s church, where I witnessed the ugly face of terrorism which claims the lives of innocents anywhere,” Modi said, referring to one of the sites of the devastating Easter Sunday attacks that killed 258 people in Sri Lanka.
According to the Bishkek Declaration, the member states stressed that acts of terrorism and extremism cannot be justified. “They note that interfering in other countries’ domestic affairs under the pretext of fighting terrorism and extremism as well as using terrorist, extremist and radical groups to achieve one’s own mercenary ends is unacceptable,” it said.
The Declaration added, “The member states condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They call on the international community to promote global cooperation in combatting terrorism with the central role of the UN by fully implementing corresponding UNSC resolutions and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in compliance with the UN Charter and the principles of international law without politicisation and double standards and with respect for the sovereignty and independence of all countries.”
Prime Minister Modi also called on the SCO member states to cooperate under the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) against terrorism. He also urged the SCO leaders to organise a global conference on terrorism. “Literature and culture provide our societies a positive activity, specially they stop the spread of radicalisation among the youths in our society,” Modi said.
A peaceful, united, safe and prosperous Afghanistan is vital for the stability and security in the SCO.
“Our goal is to support the people and the government of Afghanistan for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled comprehensive peace process. We are happy that a further roadmap has been prepared at the SCO Afghanistan Contact Group,” he said.
It has been two years since India became a full member of the SCO. India has contributed positively in all the activities of the SCO, the Prime Minister said. Modi arrived in the Kyrgyz capital on Thursday for the two-day SCO summit. The SCO is a China-led 8-member economic and security bloc with India and Pakistan being admitted to the grouping in 2017.
India in the past has blamed Pakistan for carrying out terrorist attacks in the country and asked it to stop supporting terror outfits operating from its soil. India has not been engaging with Pakistan since an attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016 by a Pakistan-based terror group, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.
Early this year, tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot in Pakistan on February 26. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured an IAF pilot, who was later handed over to India. China played a role in easing tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.
The SCO is a China-led 8-member economic and security bloc with India and Pakistan being admitted to the grouping in 2017. Other members of the grouping are China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.