No room for double standards on terrorism: PM Modi

Bishkek, Sep 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for a united approach against terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, saying there could be no selective approach in dealing with the threat and urging member states to dismantle the entire ecosystem that sustains terror.
Speaking at the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek, in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Modi said countries that provide support or safe haven to terrorists must be confronted with a clear message that terrorism cannot serve as an instrument of state policy.
“We must speak with one voice that there can be no room for double standards on this serious issue,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister said the fight against terrorism must extend beyond attacks and perpetrators to the wider networks involved in financing, recruitment, radicalisation and providing safe havens.
His remarks came during a roundtable attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other leaders of the 10-member grouping.
Modi also linked terrorism and organised crime with the growing threat posed by narcotics trafficking. He called for stronger regional coordination to prevent the drug trade from becoming a source of instability and a threat to young people.
On the broader security environment, Modi said conflicts were increasingly having consequences beyond national and regional boundaries. Referring to the continuing crisis in West Asia, he said instability could affect energy supplies, maritime trade and global supply chains.
He reiterated India’s position that disputes and wars must be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy rather than military confrontation.
Modi also backed greater connectivity among SCO countries to facilitate trade and economic activity, while underlining that such projects must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.
He said future connectivity should include not only roads, railways and air routes but also streamlined customs procedures, digital documentation and more efficient logistics systems.
The Prime Minister identified “Opportunity” as another key element of India’s approach to the SCO, arguing that the benefits of regional cooperation should reach citizens directly.
He said young people, entrepreneurs and farmers should be among the principal beneficiaries of greater economic and regional cooperation.
The SCO leaders later signed the Bishkek Declaration at the summit, held in Kyrgyzstan on the 25th anniversary of the organisation. (KNS)