Established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was created by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan with the aim of combating terrorism and enhancing border security. Today, it comprises nine member states: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran. Additionally, it includes four observer states—Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia—and nine dialogue partners, such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The SCO has evolved into a significant global entity.

The organization's relevance has grown as it has formed partnerships with various UN agencies, including the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the UN Office on Counter-Terrorism. However, in recent years, the SCO seems to have shifted from its foundational purpose of ensuring border security, with Russia and China positioning it as a counterbalance to Western alliances.

Interestingly, even smaller nations like Pakistan have managed to gain substantial support from most SCO member states, allowing them to influence the language of the group's joint communiqués. This was evident in the recent joint statement following the SCO Defence Minister's summit in China.

Notably, this statement chose not to address the tragic killing of 26 tourists by cross-border terrorists in Pahalgam in April, despite mentioning militant activities in Balochistan. Consequently, India made the prudent choice to abstain from signing the joint statement, as it failed to address its concerns regarding terrorism.

India has held Pakistan accountable for harboring the militant group responsible for the attack and has conducted targeted strikes on terrorist camps within Pakistan, which led to retaliatory actions from Islamabad, who denied the allegations.

India's interpretation of the joint statement as being "pro-Pakistan" is well-founded. This sentiment was echoed by India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who called for accountability for cross-border terrorism. He stated, "Some countries utilize cross-border terrorism as a policy tool and provide refuge to terrorists. There should be no tolerance for such double standards. The SCO must not shy away from condemning these nations." Given the one-sided nature of the joint statement and the shifting objectives of the SCO, it raises questions about the benefits of India's continued participation in the organization, especially as reversing this trend may prove challenging.