 "How PM Modi called out Pakistan in his speech at SCO Summit")
It’s Day 2 of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at Tianjin in China and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address spelt out a new meaning for the grouping — ‘Security, Connectivity and Opportunity’.
After holding talks with China’s Xi Jinping on Sunday on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, in which committed to improving ties with Beijing, PM Modi addressed the leaders of the SCO grouping, with the primary focus being on terrorism, stating that “no country and society can feel safe from this scourge”.
Here are the biggest takeaways from PM Modi’s speech at the SCO.
Modi calls out double standard on terror financing
PM Modi laid special emphasis on terrorism and the dangers it poses to humanity in his SCO address. This assumes great significance as the SCO Summit comes just months after the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor that India launched.
In his address, PM Modi said, “Terrorism is a common challenge not only to the security of any country but to the entire humanity. No country, no society, no citizen can think of themselves as safe from it. That is why, in the fight against terrorism, India has emphasised on unity.”
He called out the Al Qaeda in his speech, saying that India had taken the initiative to fight the terror group and any associated groupings by leading the Joint Information Operation.
PM Modi also made a special mention of the Pahalgam terror attack in April in which 26 people died, saying, “We saw a very heinous form of terrorism in Pahalgam. I express my gratitude to the friendly countries who stood with us in this hour of grief. This attack was not only a blow to the conscience of India, it was an open challenge to every country and every person who believes in humanity.”
Without mentioning Pakistan, he called out the double standards on terrorism, saying: “We have to clearly, and in one voice, say that, no double standards on terrorism will be acceptable. Together, we have to oppose terrorism in all its forms and colours. This is our responsibility towards humanity.”
He also added, “It is natural to ask such a question: Can the open support to terrorism by some countries be acceptable to us?”
Many view this as an indirect jibe at Pakistan, which continues to house and support terrorism. In fact, the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack were from the neighbouring country. Their organisations also have bases in Pakistan where they continue to recruit and train members to wreak havoc in India.
Notably, the Tianjin declaration signed by the SCO leaders also strongly condemned the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. “The Member States strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. They expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the dead and the wounded. They further stated that perpetrators, organisers and sponsors of such attacks must be brought to justice,” reads the declaration.
The declaration also stated that the member states, while reaffirming their firm commitment to the fight against terrorism, separatism, and extremism, stress the inadmissibility of attempts to use terrorist, separatist and extremist groups for mercenary purposes. “They recognise the leading role of sovereign States and their competent authorities in countering terrorist and extremist threats. The Member States strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, stress that double standards in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable, and call on the international community to combat terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists,” read the declaration.
Modi’s push for better connectivity
In his speech, Prime Minister Modi focused on the issue of connectivity, stating that strong connectivity opens doors not only to trade but also to trust and development.
He said that countries must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity in every effort of connectivity. The PM added that “connectivity, that bypasses sovereignty, loses trust and meaning.”
What makes this significant is that the SCO members, barring India, reaffirmed its support for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — a project against which India has repeatedly voiced its concerns. The Republic of Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan and Republic of Uzbekistan, reaffirming their support for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), noted the ongoing work on the joint implementation of this project, including efforts to align the development of the Eurasian Economic Union and the BRI.
Modi seizes the ‘Opportunity’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech said that the third pillar of India’s policy is opportunity — Opportunity for cooperation and reform.
The PM suggested a new collaboration within the SCO framework; that of a civilisational Dialogue Forum through which countries could share their ancient civilisations, art, literature, and traditions on a global platform.
He also said that in today’s day and age, countries have to try and convert every challenge into an opportunity. “We are constantly working on wide-ranging reforms. This is opening up new opportunities for development in the country as well as for international cooperation. I invite you all to join India’s development journey,” said PM Modi in his SCO speech.
PM Modi also seized the opportunity to call for reforms in the United Nations — a demand that the country has long been asking for. On this, he said, “Capturing the aspirations of the Global South in outdated frameworks is a gross injustice to future generations. We cannot show the multicoloured dreams of the new generation on the old-fashioned black-and-white screen. The screen needs to be changed.”
He also applauded the SCO, saying that it could become a guide to multilateralism and inclusive world order.
Many analysts note that the SCO could challenge the Western global order — after all, collectively, it is a total of 40-42 per cent of the world population with 20-25 per cent of GDP and up to 80 per cent of the greater Eurasian landmass.
With inputs from agencies
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