Daily Times

India never misses out on an opportunity to malign Pakistan’s image at international forums by alleging later of sponsoring cross-border terrorism as Jaishankar did in the recent Astana Summit. The 24th summit of the Councils of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held on July 4 at Astana, Kazakhstan.

Leaders from SCO member countries attended the SCO Plus Summit and States, including Iran, Turkey, Magnolia, Belarus, and Afghanistan. Members of the SCO adopted the SCO Development Strategy until 2035, including resolutions on combating terrorism, separatism, extremism, anti-drug strategy, energy cooperation, economic development, and cooperation in protected areas and eco-tourism. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar delivered a speech on behalf of PM Narendra Modi. Without directly referring to Pakistan, Jaishankar pointed out that India has been a victim of cross-border terrorism. Pakistan reserves its concerns regarding Jaishankar’s allegation and has been protesting against the baseless accusations.

The world today is going through various geo-economic and geopolitical shifts. Acknowledging these world dynamics, Jaishankar stressed that these changes have serious implications for all nations of the world, requiring collective, collaborative, and immediate action from the international community. To serve its true purpose and remain relevant, the SCO should foster effective cooperation among its members and extended family to resolve these evolving intricacies. However, effective cooperation in SCO is bound to the willingness of member states to move beyond the historical animosities.

Effective cooperation in SCO is bound to the willingness of member states to move beyond the historical animosities.

Relative to India’s role in alleging Pakistan of cross-border terrorism at international forums, Jaishankar did not miss the chance to implicitly point fingers at Pakistan at the SCO summit.

He condemned cross-border terrorism by saying terrorism in any form or manifestation cannot be justified or condoned. He blamed countries for using terrorism as a destabilizing force against others and urged the international community to expose and isolate such states. The rhetoric not only aimed to isolate Pakistan on the international stage but also to undermine its image as a cooperative member of the SCO.

From electoral rallies in Maharashtra to international organizations like the UN, Modi has consistently alleged Pakistan of promoting terrorism and disturbing regional peace. He praised the Indian army for their resistance and vowed to fight terrorism with all might.

At the BRICS Summit in Goa in 2016, Modi called Pakistan the “mothership of terrorism.” Whether it was the Independence Rally in 2017 or the Election-2024 rally in Palamu, Modi has portrayed India as a victim and urged the international community to take responsible actions against the perpetrator of terrorism.

Pakistan has consistently and responsibly denied the Indian allegations, asserting that the country itself is a victim cross border terrorism from Afghanistan and India. Indian support to Baloch terrorist groups and the TTP’s safe havens in Afghanistan are clear examples of Pakistan’s struggle against terrorism. This has resulted in significant loss of lives, infrastructure, and economic instability. Pakistani leadership has repeatedly denied such accusations from the Indian side as myopic and irresponsible and could jeopardize regional cooperation. Side by side, Pakistan has been asking India to provide sufficient evidence of the former’s involvement in terrorist activities inside India. But leadership in India has failed to provide any such robust evidence. During a General Assembly debate on the “Culture of Peace,” Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram underscored that India’s extraterritorial terrorism extends beyond Pakistan. India has been indulged in the targeting of political opponents in Canada, the United States, and potentially other nations as well. Instead of focusing on systemic violence at the domestic and regional level, India is pointing fingers at others.

Furthermore, Pakistan has undertaken strong counter-terrorism efforts and coordinated with states and organizations in this regard, which demonstrates Pakistan’s genuine commitment to combating terrorism contrary to the narrative propagated by India. India has been using international forums for its bilateral concerns that undermine the overall agenda of the respective organization.

The EAM S. Jaishankar’s speech at the Astana summit is another chapter in the long-standing narrative of India accusing Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism, aimed at serving India counter-terrorism and isolating Pakistan internationally.

The writer is a student.