‘No double standards on terrorism’: Rajnath Singh calls for dismantling terror ecosystem at SCO Meet

Rajnath Singh asked Shanghai Cooperation Organisation members to act together against terrorism, rather than responding selectively or separately. He said the entire ecosystem supporting terrorism must be firmly dismantled. This includes the structures that help terrorist groups operate, recruit, raise money, and find protection. Singh called terrorism one of the most serious threats to peace and development.

His demand went beyond condemning attacks after they happen. He specifically rejected any place for people or entities that provide terrorists with finance, support, or safe havens. He also said there can be no justification or double standards in dealing with terrorism. The aim is to remove the conditions that allow terrorist networks to survive.

Singh made the appeal at the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe. He also referred to India’s warning that any future terrorist act originating from Pakistan would receive an even stronger response. At the same time, he backed wider SCO cooperation on trade, investment, connectivity, and technology.

The phrase “terrorism ecosystem” means the connected system around a terrorist group. It includes people, money, logistical help, propaganda, recruitment channels, and places where members can hide or plan. Singh highlighted three enabling roles: financing, support, and safe havens. Removing only individual attackers may not end the network if these surrounding supports remain.

Financing pays for weapons, travel, communications, recruitment, and other operations. Support can include supplies, expertise, transport, political backing, or information. Safe havens give terrorists places to organize, train, store resources, and avoid arrest. Together, these elements turn a small group into a continuing threat. They also help networks recover after security operations.

Singh said there can be no place for those providing these forms of assistance. His proposed answer was collective dismantling by SCO countries. That requires countries to identify and disrupt the network as a whole, while avoiding double standards. The article does not list specific enforcement methods, but its focus is on removing the conditions that sustain terrorism.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, or SCO, is a regional grouping whose members cooperate on political, security, economic, and cultural matters. In this meeting, its Council of Heads of Government focused on strengthening cooperation in trade, the economy, investment, connectivity, innovation, and cultural exchanges. These areas matter because they shape how members trade, develop infrastructure, and respond to shared challenges.

The Council provides a forum for senior government leaders to coordinate priorities and make decisions. At the Dushanbe meeting, India supported an Action Plan for 2026-2030 under the Programme for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation. Singh said economic engagement should be inclusive and beneficial for every member country. He also called for resilient supply chains and technology-led development.

The meeting also addressed institutional and security matters. Singh welcomed decisions made in Bishkek to make the Universal Centre in Tashkent and the Anti-Drug Centre in Dushanbe permanent SCO bodies. His terrorism appeal therefore appeared alongside discussions about economic cooperation, regional institutions, and development.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation currently has 10 member countries: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus. Its membership stretches across a large part of Asia and includes major population centres, economies, and security actors. That scale gives the organisation potential influence over regional security and economic cooperation.

The SCO covers more than 60% of the Eurasian landmass. It also represents roughly 40% of the world’s population, according to widely cited organisational figures. These measurements show why collective decisions within the group can matter beyond the countries attending one meeting. They also explain the importance of cooperation on transport links, trade, energy, security, and supply chains.

The supplied article itself does not state the membership total or geographic area. Those figures come from established current information about the organisation, rather than this report. In the article, the SCO’s broad agenda includes terrorism, trade, investment, connectivity, innovation, culture, and permanent regional centres.

Pakistan’s presence was significant because Ishaq Dar, its Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, attended the same meeting where Singh called for a united campaign against terrorism. The article does not say that Dar responded to Singh or that Pakistan was directly accused in the meeting. It only establishes that both officials were present at the SCO gathering in Dushanbe.

That setting made Singh’s message especially pointed. He called for the removal of terrorist financing, support, and safe havens, and rejected double standards. He also repeated India’s warning that any future terrorist act originating from Pakistan would receive an even stronger response. These remarks gave the discussion a direct India-Pakistan security dimension.

At the same time, the meeting was not limited to bilateral tensions. It covered trade, investment, connectivity, innovation, cultural exchanges, and regional institutions. Pakistan’s attendance showed that the SCO must pursue cooperation among members even when their security positions are sharply difficult. The article does not describe any joint counterterrorism decision from the meeting.

Terrorism causes damage beyond deaths and injuries because it makes societies and economies less predictable. Businesses may delay investment, trade can slow, and transport or commercial links can be disrupted. Governments and companies may face higher security costs. Fear can also reduce travel, hiring, and local business activity. These effects can continue after the immediate attack has ended.

The article gives a direct example of this mechanism. Singh said terrorism disrupts investment and commerce, radicalises societies, and deprives young people of opportunities. A disrupted commercial environment can weaken supply chains, making it harder to move goods, attract capital, or maintain reliable production. Radicalisation can also divide communities and divert young people from education, work, and constructive social participation.

That is why Singh linked counterterrorism with development. At the SCO meeting, he supported resilient supply chains, easier trade and investment, and technology for development. His argument was that security and prosperity reinforce each other. Removing terrorist networks can protect lives while also preserving the economic connections and opportunities needed for long-term growth.

Dismantling terrorist networks requires more than military operations. Intelligence-sharing can connect information about planned attacks, recruiters, financiers, travel, and communications. Financial controls can freeze suspicious funds, investigate hidden transfers, and block organisations that raise money. These measures target the network’s ability to plan and operate. Strong policing and judicial cooperation can then identify suspects and bring them before courts.

Regional cooperation is essential when networks cross borders. Countries can coordinate border checks, extradition, investigations, cyber monitoring, and action against safe havens. They can also share information through permanent bodies such as the SCO’s Anti-Drug Centre in Dushanbe, which the article says was made permanent. Community programmes and education can help reduce radicalisation and protect young people from recruitment.

These tools support Singh’s call to dismantle the entire ecosystem rather than only respond to individual attacks. The article does not set out a detailed toolkit or specific joint operation. It does show that the SCO provides a forum for collective action, while also linking security cooperation with trade, technology, and development.