The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China, concluded on Thursday without a joint statement due to India’s refusal to agree on the wording. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reaffirmed his country’s commitment to fighting terrorism and promoting regional peace under the SCO platform.
The 10-member Eurasian grouping — which includes China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and Iran — met ahead of the annual SCO leaders’ summit later this year. During the session, Khawaja Asif condemned Israel’s aggression against Iran and stressed the need for collective action to tackle global and regional security challenges. He reiterated Pakistan’s opposition to all forms of terrorism and highlighted the country’s efforts against terror groups like TTP, BLA, and ISIS.
India, however, objected to the absence of a reference to the April 22 Pahalgam attack in the draft communique, which reportedly caused the deadlock. The Indian foreign ministry claimed there was “a lack of consensus” on including terrorism in the statement. According to Indian media, this omission led New Delhi to withhold its signature, ultimately preventing the adoption of a final declaration.
Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif Addresses SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China
Qingdao, China – Minister for Defence of Pakistan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting held in Qingdao,… pic.twitter.com/ZcxWOseBMu
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) June 26, 2025
A Pakistani official at the summit stated that India faced diplomatic isolation, as it failed to gain support for its position on the Pahalgam attack and stood alone in its stance on Israeli military actions against Iran. The official claimed that Pakistan achieved “significant success” by maintaining support for its position and countering Indian allegations.
This SCO meeting was particularly significant as it marked the first time Indian and Pakistani defence ministers shared the same platform since recent cross-border hostilities. The April attack in Pahalgam and India’s subsequent missile strikes on Pakistan had pushed both nuclear-armed neighbors to the brink of war, before a US-brokered ceasefire was reached on May 10.