Shanghai/Qingdao, June 26 -- In a strong diplomatic move, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign a joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting after it omitted mention of the recent Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians and instead included a veiled accusation against India over Balochistan.

Singh, attending the summit in Qingdao, China, expressed India's deep displeasure over the document, which allegedly excluded the Pahalgam attack at Pakistan's behest. China, a close ally of Pakistan, currently holds the SCO chair.

Calling out the "double standards" of member states, Singh stressed that peace and prosperity cannot coexist with terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass...