Pakistan, June 27 -- At a time when regional cooperation is essential, India has once again chosen point-scoring over principle. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in Qingdao concluded without a joint communique, not because of deep divisions, but because India refused to endorse a statement that did not reflect its version of the April 22 Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir.

While Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reiterated Islamabad's unequivocal commitment to combating terrorism, condemning the Pahalgam killings and urging accountability, India demanded the declaration mirror its narrative. Similarly, when consensus language was adopted without direct reference to its claims, New Delhi walke...