Rajnath Singh Urges SCO to Dismantle Terror Ecosystem in Dushanbe
Image: All India Radio / PIB
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday, October 20, called on Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) members to “firmly and collectively” dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorism, speaking at the 25th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Representing India at the two-day meeting, he said there can be “no justification for terrorism” and no double standards in dealing with it, according to All India Radio and PTI reports of his address.
Trade Routes and Youth Jobs on India’s Agenda
Singh said terrorism costs innocent lives, disrupts investment and trade, and deprives young people of opportunities, and that the SCO’s success should be measured by the opportunities it creates for youth. He said connectivity projects must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, and cited the International North-South Transport Corridor and Chabahar Port as routes linking Central Asia to wider markets. He also called for simpler customs, digital documentation and resilient supply chains, and pointed to India’s digital public infrastructure and start-up ecosystem.
Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar in the Room
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar was present during the address, Daily Excelsior reported. Five days earlier, on October 15 in New Delhi, Singh had said any future terrorist act originating from Pakistan would draw a stronger response. According to a PIB release of October 18, the Dushanbe meeting focused on trade, investment, connectivity and cultural exchanges. The previous council meeting, in Moscow on November 18, 2025, was attended for India by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Singh also met Tajikistan’s Prime Minister Qohir Rosulzoda on the sidelines, All India Radio reported.
Civilisational Dialogue Forum Later This Year
Member states adopted the meeting’s joint communiqué, the SCO budget for 2027 and a 2026–2030 action plan for multilateral trade and economic cooperation, Greater Kashmir reported. Singh welcomed decisions taken at the Bishkek summit to make the Universal Centre in Tashkent and the Anti-Drug Centre in Dushanbe permanent SCO bodies. India will host the first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum later this year and has invited all members to take part. For earlier coverage of India’s defence diplomacy, see Rajnath Singh’s 2020 talks in Moscow and this week’s India–UAE talks in Mumbai, or more at Daily Updates.
Source: PIB release, Ministry of Defence (October 18) and All India Radio. Also based on reporting by Daily Excelsior (PTI) and Greater Kashmir.
Image: All India Radio / PIB.
