S Jaishankar takes a dig at Pakistan at SCO meet, says cross-border terrorism must stop

India urged member countries to prioritise the fight against terrorism on Friday, the second day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers meeting in Goa. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised that the threat must be stopped in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

"The menace of terrorism continues unabated. We firmly believe that there can be no justification for terrorism and it must be stopped in all its forms and manifestations including cross-border terrorism. Combating terrorism is one of the original mandates of SCO," Jaishankar warned.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari attended the meeting on May 5, becoming the first of his stature to visit India in almost 12 years.

In his keynote address, Zardari reiterated Pakistan's commitment to multilateralism and the SCO.

At the same time, he made a pointed reply to Jaishankar's comments, saying, "Let's not get caught up in weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point scoring."

Speaking at the historic meeting of the SCO, which was attended by foreign ministers from Pakistan, China, and Russia, Jaishankar called for the seizure and blocking of financing for terrorist activities without discrimination.

"Taking our eyes off terrorism would be detrimental to our security interests," Jaishankar warned.

While the world is preoccupied with the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, terrorism continues to pose a significant threat, he noted, with Pakistan being the intended target of his remarks.

"We firmly believe that there can be no justification for terrorism, and it must be stopped in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism," he added.

Jaishankar highlighted that combating terrorism is one of the original mandates of the SCO. While the world was engaged in facing the pandemic and its consequences, the menace of terrorism continued unabated, he said.

According to Jaishankar, the world is facing numerous challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical upheavals, with these events disrupting global supply chains.

In Afghanistan, he said, the unfolding situation remains at the "center of our attention."

Jaishankar stated that their efforts should be focused on the welfare of the Afghan people, including the provision of humanitarian assistance, ensuring an inclusive government, combating terrorism, and preserving the rights of women, children, and minorities.

India's external affairs minister welcomed his foreign counterparts to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers at a beach resort in Goa, stating that India attaches great importance to the development of multifaceted cooperation within the SCO in the promotion of peace and stability.

During the meeting, Jaishankar also sought the support of member states for the long-standing demand of India to make English the third official language of SCO.

Earlier, while welcoming the international representatives to the meeting, Jaishankar forgo the customary handshake and chose to greet them with a "namaste" or "namaskar."

The SCO, founded in 2001, aims to promote cooperation in political, economic, security, and cultural spheres among its eight member states, including India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.