Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrives for the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting on October 20, 2026
| Photo Credit: ANI
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday (October 20, 2026) said that the entire “ecosystem of terrorism” must be firmly and collectively “dismantled”, underlining that there can be “no place” for those who finance, support, or shelter terrorists.
Addressing the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Mr. Singh also said that terrorism has become one of the “most serious threats” to peace and development and it not only causes harm to innocent lives but also disrupts investment and commerce.
He further said that “terrorism radicalises societies and deprives our youth of the opportunities they deserve.”
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar was also present when Mr. Singh was making these remarks at the gathering.
The Defence Minister is in Tajikistan on a two-day official visit to represent India at the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Mr. Singh stressed that there can be “no justification for terrorism; there can be no double standards in dealing with it.”
He further said, “There can be no place for those who provide terrorists with finance, support, or safe havens. The entire ecosystem of terrorism must be firmly and collectively dismantled.”
On October 15 in New Delhi, Mr. Singh had said that any future terrorist act originating from Pakistan will draw an even “stronger response”.
He said that since 2014, the “shelf life” of most terrorists has fallen to less than a year, with security forces neutralising them within a year of their taking up arms against India.
While addressing the SCO members, Mr. Singh also emphasised India’s support for the adoption of the action plan for 2026 to 2030 on the Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation Programme.
“India believes that our economic engagement, along with being inclusive, should be beneficial for each member country. We should work towards building more resilient supply chains, facilitating trade and investment, and using technology for development,” Mr. Singh said.
The Programme for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States is aimed at the comprehensive development of trade, economic, and investment interaction based on transparent, predictable, and stable conditions for the development of sectoral ties.
Increasing mutual trade volumes and expanding investment cooperation in the interests of improving the well-being of the peoples of the Organisation’s countries.
On February 25, 2026, a meeting of experts from the member states of the SCO was held to discuss the draft Action Plan for 2026-2030 on the implementation of the Program for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States.
Mr. Singh further said India has welcomed the decisions taken in Bishkek to make the Universal Centre in Tashkent and the Anti-Drug Centre in Dushanbe permanent bodies of the SCO.
Published – October 20, 2026 04:07 pm IST
