Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have strongly condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, stressing that the perpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of such acts “must be brought to justice.”

In the Tianjin Declaration adopted at the SCO Council of Heads of State, the nations expressed their deepest condolences to the families of the victims and solidarity with India.

 “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,” the declaration stated.

On April 22, four heavily armed terrorists of The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, opened fire on civilians at Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam, killing several and injuring many others.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his opening remarks at the summit attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, raised the issue of the Pahalgam attack. He thanked SCO partners for standing by India while warning against the “double standards” of certain countries that back terrorism.

 “This attack was not only an assault on India’s soul but also an open challenge to humanity. The question arises whether countries openly supporting terrorism should be accepted by us? We must speak with one voice that no double standards will be tolerated in this fight,” Modi said.

The declaration reaffirmed the SCO’s commitment to fighting terrorism, separatism, and extremism, stressing the inadmissibility of using such groups for political or mercenary purposes. It also called for global efforts to counter cross-border terrorism.

The member states reiterated that terrorism in all forms is unacceptable and underlined the central role of sovereign states and their institutions in tackling such threats.

The declaration further echoed India’s vision of “One Earth, One Family, One Future” and welcomed the outcomes of the 5th SCO Startup Forum (New Delhi, April 3-5, 2025) and the 20th SCO Think Tank Forum (New Delhi, May 2025). It also acknowledged the role of the SCO Study Centre at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in fostering cultural and humanitarian exchanges.